LEÓN, Mexico, September 14, 2026.- Mexico advanced directly to the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Pan American Cup after defeating Cuba in straight sets 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-15) and securing first place in Pool B with an undefeated record on Monday at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.
Cuba dropped to a 1-2 record and will complete pool play on Tuesday against Costa Rica at 4:00 p.m. Earlier, the United States will face Guatemala at 2:00 p.m. The results of both matches will determine the final standings in the pool.
Mexico managed to take control at key moments in the first two sets and delivered a stronger finish in the third. Sofía Maldonado and Aimé Topete were consistent contributors on offense, while Grecia Castro also made an impact in attack. In the third set, the hosts gradually extended their lead to 23-14 before completing the straight-set victory.
Mexico finished with a slight 42-39 advantage in attacks, 5-4 in blocks and 4-1 in service points. The hosts also benefited from 24 Cuban errors while conceding 20.
Maldonado and Topete led Mexico with 13 points each, while Castro added 10. Evilania Martínez was Cuba’s leading scorer with 10 points.
Nicola Negro, head coach of Mexico: “We are happy to already be in the semifinals. It is a result that works in our favor, and the girls gave everything to earn the victory, adding as much ranking points as we can. We are trying to enjoy ourselves in the tournament, and we are going to try to win a medal.”
Luizomar de Moura, head coach of Cuba: “This is not the same team that played at the NORCECA Championship in Santo Domingo. We have some young players, and we are here trying to make as many improvements as possible. We have our second setter, and we are helping all of them a lot through this process. It is a development process.”
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