COLIMA, Mexico, June 21, 2024.- Mexico mastered a 3-1 (25-12, 22-25, 25-18, 25-17) victory against Cuba in the semifinals of the Boys U17 Pan American Cup being held in Colima, Mexico.
On Saturday, Mexico will face Puerto Rico, the winner of the other semifinal, for the championship. Cuba will compete for the bronze medal against Canada.
Mexico dominated in attacks (42-31) and service points (7-1). Both teams recorded 13 blocks. Mexico benefited from 35 Cuban errors while committing 27 of their own.
Mexican outside hitters Oskar González and Emi Díaz contributed 17 and 16 points respectively. Oskar scored on 14 attacks, one block, and two aces. Emi tallied 10 attacks, 5 blocks, and one ace. Opposite hitter Ricardo González also added 11 points to the victory.
Cuban captain and opposite hitter Yosdani Medina was the only player on his team to reach double digits, leading the match with 21 points. Medina made 20 successful attacks and one block.
Mexico controlled the first set completely, scoring 6 blocks that unsettled the Cuban team’s system. Cuba adjusted well in the second set, staying tied at 16 points and maintaining the lead with Medina steering their offense. Mexico bounced back in the third and fourth sets, quickly achieving a solid six-point lead (11-5) with Oskar and Emi putting pressure on Cuba, which committed a significant number of errors, especially in the third set (a total of 12), paving the way for Mexico to advance to the championship match.
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