The USA team prevailed over Cuba with a 3:1 (25-22, 25-18, 18-25, 25-23) victory in a tense and dynamic clash that offered an intriguing battle at all levels of the game.
The two teams were almost equally matched in attack – USA scored 47 points from attack, while Cuba managed to record 48. This shows a balanced struggle at the net, where neither side managed to completely dominate in this element.
USA also recorded a slight lead in blocking – 13 against 11 for Cuba. This advantage proved crucial in decisive moments of the second and fourth sets, where the Americans managed to stop some of the main Cuban attackers.
The Americans also prevailed convincingly from serve – 7 aces against just 4 for Cuba. This difference contributed to greater pressure on the Cubans' reception, especially in the second set.
USA received 28 points from Cuba's errors, which is 5 more than those the Americans conceded (23). This again tilted the scales in favor of the winners in key situations.
The total number of points is also indicative of the evenly matched game – 93 for USA against 88 for Cuba. The victory came not so much from dominance in one specific component, but from balance and stability in critical moments.
🔝 Top scorers
Cuba:
Yant (No. 23)– 21 points: the leading scorer for his team, demonstrated excellent form in attack.
Masso (No. 1)– 17 points: a stable partner in attack, contributed with several important blocks.
USA:
Robinson (No. 18)– 18 points: the best scorer for USA, key in overcoming the Cuban block.
Jendryk (No. 4)– 13 points: important contribution in both attack and blocking.
The match showed a high level of play from both teams and was decided by details – minimal advantages in blocking, serving, and tactical discipline, which tilted the balance in favor of USA.
