The Cuban team lost again in five sets to the Dominican Republic and finished in sixth place in the XIX Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, held in Cuernavaca, capital of the Mexican state of Morelos.
This time, the Dominicans encountered greater resistance, but they managed to secure the victory once again with set scores of 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 26-28, and 18-16, clinching fifth place with a 4-2 record, compared to their rivals’ 3-3.
The Cubans displayed superior attack (72-64), however, the Dominicans were superior in blocking (15-11) and service points (3-2), and committed fewer unforced errors (27-35).
Cuba’s outside hitter Bryan Camino and the Dominican Edward Rojas were the top scorers, both with 22 points. Following Camino were the towering opposite hitter Daniel Martínez (19), outside hitter Carlos Larrea (14), and middle blocker José Ángel Morejón (10).
For the opposing team, Alexis Cruz (20 points) and Moisés Ortiz (14 points) also stood out offensively, with Ortiz recording six blocks, the most of the game.
Darién Ferrer, the Cuban team’s head coach, explained that a lack of consistency was one of the factors that hampered his team during the tournament.
