SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 19, 2026.– The United States opened the tournament with a convincing 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-10) victory over Cuba on the first day of Pool A at the NORCECA Girls’ U19 Continental Championship.
Although Cuba offered resistance in the first two sets, particularly early in the opening set and after tying the score at 16-16 in the second, the United States imposed its stronger offense and went on to dominate the match convincingly, especially in the third set.
The Americans held a 41-21 advantage in attacks, while also leading Cuba in service aces (10-0) and blocks (4-1). Both teams finished even with 20 points scored from opponents’ errors.
Ireland Real led the United States offense with nine points, while Olivia Henry and Nejari Crooks added eight points apiece.
For Cuba, Amanda Mayor was the team’s leading scorer with eight points, followed by Yusdely Cabrera with five.
Cuba will face the Dominican Republic in its next match, while the United States will have a rest day on the second day of competition.
Following the team’s opening victory, United States head coach Alexandra Dunphy said: “We are very happy with this first victory. The team played very well, many players contributed to the win, and I am very pleased because we showed a lot of strength and depth at every position.”
Cuba head coach Enrique Lazarraleta said: “We knew the United States was a very strong team. We had a lot of difficulty with their fast-paced game. For us, the tournament begins after this match; now we have to focus on the matches ahead.”
English 
Spanish