Cuba falls to Puerto Rico NORCECA U17 tournament, today Vs. US

HAVANA, Cuba, Nov. 6 (ACN) Cuban women's volleyball team suffered its second consecutive defeat on Wednesday at the North, Central American and Caribbean U17 Continental Championship (NORCECA), falling 1-3 to Puerto Rico, which is being held in San Jose, Costa Rica, until next Sunday.

After losing 0-3 to Mexico on Tuesday, Cubans were outplayed in the first two sets, 13-25 and 19-25.They rallied in the third, winning 25-22, but ultimately succumbed in the fourth, 16-25, in one hour and 37 minutes of play.

According to the website www.norceca.net, the official team statistics for the match show that Puerto Rico was superior in attack (42 points to 28), serving (12-4), and conceded three fewer points due to errors (35-38), while the Cubans scored three more points in blocking (6-3).

Ana Sophia Aquino stood out individually, leading all scorers with 17 points: 14 on attacks, one on blocks, and two on serves.She was supported by Viceca Garcia (11-6, 1-4), the only two players to reach double figures, followed by Cuba's Anelys Morales (9-9, 0-0).

Today, Cuba will face the United States, and Mexico will play against Puerto Rico. So far, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic lead the group with one win each, followed by Canada and Suriname (0-1).

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, with the second and third-place finishers from each group facing off.The semifinals, featuring the group winners, will be played on Saturday, and the bronze and gold medal matches will be held on Sunday.

The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2026 World Championship in this age category, scheduled to take place in Chile.