GATINEAU, CANADA. Aug. 20, 2024: The NORCECA Men’s Final 6 kicked off today in Gatineau, Quebec, at the Slush Puppie Centre, with Mexico sweeping Cuba in the tournament’s opening match.
The final score was 3-0 (25-22, 25-9, 25-21).
Mexico led in attack points 36-32, blocks 9-4, aces 4-2 and made significantly fewer errors than Cuba 26-14.
Mexico’s captain Mauro Fuentes Rascón led all scoring with 14 points; followed by teammate Ridl Garay Nava with 11 points.
Cuban opposite Daniel Guillermo Martinez Campos was that team’s top scorer with 10 points.
Mexico’s head coach Carlos Schwanke commented: “We put our strategy to work, and I’m happy with the 3-0 win. We know Cuba technically, so we tried to get some positive points with our service. After that, our block and defense worked well and we were brave in our attack. They have a good, high block, so we have to work around that. We had to play strong and smart…. We expect to play at the same level tomorrow (against USA).”