GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, November 15, 2024.- The Mets de Guaynabo took control of their semifinal series against Cafeteros de Yauco with a 3-2 lead, positioning themselves just one victory away from the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM) finals after defeating them 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-13) at the Mario “Quijote” Morales Coliseum.
Following the win, Mets libero Arnel Cabrera said: “As I’ve said before, I believe we’re playing this series against ourselves. Yauco has shown an incredible level of play, but whenever we manage to focus on our strengths and control our emotions a bit, we execute very well. It’s been challenging because we’re such a complete team; everyone wants to give their best, which sometimes works against us. We make mistakes at critical moments, and Yauco, credit where it’s due, has executed extremely well and given us an incredible series.”
This semifinal has seen the home team prevail in every game. Addressing this trend, Cabrera added: “Of course, going to Yauco requires responsibility and a clear mindset. It’s an emotional venue, with a passionate crowd, and we know they play very well at home and defend their court effectively. On our end, I’d say we’ve had some erratic games at times in Yauco, which has shaken our confidence a bit when playing away. But we have a day to clear our minds and head there as focused as possible.”
The Mets outperformed Cafeteros 50-36 in attacks, 11-9 in blocks, 51-39 in digs, and 9-4 in aces, while Yauco held the edge in receptions (52-44) and assists (25-20).
The winners’ offense was led by Inovel Romero with 20 points, Gregory Torres with 18, and Gianluca Grasso with 11. For Yauco, Diego Negrón contributed 16 points, and Mark Frazier added 10 in the losing effort.
The series returns to the Pipote Oliveras Coliseum in Yauco for Game 6 on Monday, November 18, at 8:00 PM.
The winner of this series will face the defending champions, Caribes de San Sebastián, who became the first finalists after sweeping the runners-up, Changos de Naranjito, in four matches.
The semifinal series are played in a best-of-seven format. The KIA Cup Grand Final begins two days after the last semifinal concludes.
SEMIFINAL SERIES A
Game #1 – Wednesday, November 6 – 8:00 PM, Yauco ag Guaynabo / 2-3 (21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-11)
Game #2 – Friday, November 8 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (28-30, 14-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13)
Game #3 – Sunday, November 10 – 5:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo / 0-3 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23)
Game #4 – Wednesday, November 13 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco / 2-3 (18-25, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19, 15-8)
Game #5 – Friday, November 15 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo / 1-3 (25-20, 19-25, 25-18, 25-13)
Game #6 (if necessary) – Monday, November 18 – 8:00 PM, Guaynabo at Yauco
Game #7 (if necessary) – Thursday, November 21 – 8:00 PM, Yauco at Guaynabo
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