MONCTON, Canada, September 11, 2026: Cuba beat Dominican Republic 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) in pool B of the NORCECA Men’s Championship today at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Dominant blocking (19 points to four for its opponent) was a difference maker for Cuba, along with the advantage in attack points (37-34) and making fewer errors 11-18. Dominican Republic did manage five ace serves compared with one for Cuba.
Cuba’s Alejandro González Rodríguez led all scoring with 15 points (8 kills and 7 blocks).
Captain and outside hitter Héctor Alexis Cruz led the Dominican team with 13 points.
Eight teams are in Moncton, Canada, for the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship, where three berths to the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup in Poland will be at stake. The tournament will also determine the teams that advance to NORCECA’s final qualification stage (Sept. 18 and 19) for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Jesús Cruz López, Cuba’s head coach, said post-match: “This was the first game and it’s very important. We had a very difficult day with travel to arrive here just in time, but this is part of the tournament. It’s the first game and the most important thing is to take the victory.
“Our expectation for the tournament is to take the ticket to both events – the World Cup and to fight for the ticket to the Olympic Games. It’s the same with the Canadian team, we’re going to fight for the wins.”
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