In a contest defined by tight nets and lightning-fast serves, the squad led by Jesus Cruz dismantled Canada with set scores of 25-22, 25-21, and a thrilling 29-27 to seal the victory.

  The Caribbean team grew in confidence after a balanced first set, eventually asserting its dominance in attack and blocking, while successfully withstanding the opponent’s pressure during the decisive points of the third set.

  The statistics told a story of dominance: 11 blocks to Canada’s six, five aces to two, and superior reception, alongside 42 attack points compared to 40—a narrow numerical margin that felt far more significant in the flow of the game.

  Miguel Angel Lopez led the offense with 16 points, supported by Marlon Yant with 14; for Canada, Ryan Varga (15 points) and Brodie Szwarc (11 points) stood out but could not overcome the Cuban momentum.

  The win lifted Cuba to 15th place in the FIVB rankings while dropping Canada to 16th—a symbolic shift resulting from this head-to-head clash.

  With their elite status secured, the Cuban squad will face Italy in their final preliminary match, aiming to close out the Japan leg with another impressive performance.

jdt/ft/blc