Cuba took a decisive step towards preserving its place in the Volleyball Nations League after defeating Canada 3:0 (25:22, 25:21, 29:27) in a match from the last week of the main phase in Osaka.
The Canadians were close to their opponent in attack but significantly lagged in blocking and serving. Cuba finished with 42 points in attack against 40 for Canada, made 11 successful blocks against 6, and recorded 5 aces against 2. The Canadians received one more point from opponent's errors – 22 against 21, but the overall ratio of won rallies was 79:70 in favor of the Cubans. In defense, Cuba also had an advantage with 52 digs against 46. Canada was more stable in reception – 64 against 56, and had a minimal advantage in setting – 86 against 84, but this was not enough to stop the opponent's more powerful play in blocking and serving. The top scorer for Cuba was Lopez with 16 points, and Yant added 14. For Canada, Varga finished with 15 points, and Szwarc scored 11.
The victory brought Cuba 10.96 points for the world ranking, while Canada lost the same amount.
With this success, the Cubans now have 3 wins and 10 points and took a huge step towards remaining in the VNL. Canada remained with only one win and 10 points before their last match against Belgium.
Even if they win against the Belgians, the Canadians can finish with at most 2 wins. This will not allow them to overtake any of their direct competitors, because Argentina, Cuba, and Belgium already have 3 wins each.
According to the official documentVNL 2026 – Competition Regulationsthe first criterion for team ranking is the total number of wins, and points are only considered in case of a tie on this indicator.
At the bottom of the current standings is China with one win and 4 points, but the Chinese team will not be relegated. The reason is again stated inVNL 2026 – Competition Regulations. According to Art. 2.3, the host of the Final Eight has a guaranteed spot in the final tournament, and Art. 2.4 specifies that if they are not among the top eight after the preliminary phase, they automatically take the eighth position in the finals bracket.
The regulations further specify in Art. 2.6 that the final ranking of the tournament is determined after the Final Phase, and Art. 2.7 stipulates that the last team in this final ranking is relegated. Thus, China, even if it finishes last in the preliminary phase, cannot remain last in the final ranking because it will participate in the Final Eight.
Thus, Cuba's victory practically sent Canada towards the exit of the Nations League. Even a win against Belgium in the last round will not be enough, as its direct competitors already have more wins, and the last-placed team in the preliminary standings, China, retains its spot thanks to its status as host of the Final Eight.
After the final point, the Cubans' joy was even more emotional. In the team photo after the victory, the entire team posed with the jersey of middle blocker Concepcion, who sustained a severe injury during the second tournament of the Nations League and underwent surgery, causing him to miss the rest of the season. With this gesture, his teammates fulfilled the promise they had given him – to preserve Cuba's place in the VNL, so that Concepcion can return to the court and play in the tournament again after his recovery next year.
photos:volleyballworld.com
