August 29, 2025.- In a thrilling five-set match, the United States defeated France and advanced to the semifinals of the U21 World Championship being held in Jiangmen, China. Cuba, the other NORCECA semifinalist, was not as fortunate and ended up losing to Italy in four sets.
The Americans came back twice from being down in sets against the French, turning the score around to win 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12).
The match was very even, with a slight edge for the North Americans in blocks (14-9) and serves (5-4). Both teams executed 59 successful attacks and committed 30 unforced errors.
Outside hitter and U.S. captain Sean Kelly was the top attacker with 21 points, 20 of them coming from the net. Cole Hartke was key from the service line, delivering 3 aces and finishing the match with 19 points. Crist, Jordan, and Foley combined for a total of 10 blocks.
The United States will play the semifinal on August 30 at 5 PM (local time) against Iran. The other semifinal will feature Italy against Czechia, three hours after the Americans’ match.
Cuba, meanwhile, fought hard but lost 1-3 (18-25, 25-22, 18-25, 21-25) against Italy, who never let their guard down. The Cubans outperformed the Italians in blocks (10-9), but the Europeans were stronger in attacks (55-38) and serves (8-4).
Opposite Guillermo Martínez was Cuba’s main weapon in attack, scoring 24 points (19 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces), but it was not enough to secure the victory.
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