Cuba Finish Seventh at the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 23, 2026. – Cuba finished seventh at the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship after defeating a determined U.S. Virgin Islands team 3-1 (25-13, 25-16, 22-25, 27-25) in both teams’ final match of the tournament.

The U.S. Virgin Islands concluded the competition in eighth place in the final standings.

Cuba controlled the opening two sets with authority behind a solid blocking performance and an efficient offense. However, the U.S. Virgin Islands raised their level in the third set, finding their rhythm offensively and capitalizing on Cuban errors to extend the match.

The fourth set proved to be the most competitive of the contest. The U.S. Virgin Islands built a 23-20 lead and came within two points of forcing a fifth set. Cuba, however, responded at the crucial moment, relying on its blocking and the attacking efforts of Amanda Mayor and Yusdely Cabrera to erase the deficit and secure a 27-25 victory, clinching seventh place in the championship.

Cuba held a slight edge in attacks (41-39) but made the biggest difference at the net with a 15-5 advantage in blocks. The Cubans also finished ahead in service aces (8-7).

Despite their spirited performance, the U.S. Virgin Islands were hurt by unforced errors, conceding 35 points compared to Cuba’s 28.

Amanda Mayor led Cuba with 20 points, while Yusdely Cabrera and Lauren Correoso each added 11.

Following the match, Cuba’s head coach Enrique Larrazaleta said: “It was a great final match for the Cuban team. We finished the competition with two wins and two losses. All we can do now is keep working for future events. We definitely need to strengthen the team’s mental aspect because it affects us greatly during matches.”

U.S. Virgin Islands head coach Isaac Raphael commented: “I’m very proud of the U.S. Virgin Islands team. Against Cuba, the girls gave everything they had on the court. We made some mistakes, but that’s to be expected from such a young team. I would have loved to win this final match, but I’m still very proud of my players.”