After a bounce-back win over Colombia, Cuba now sets its sights on Team USA in what should be a crucial Pool D showdown in the FIVB Men's World Championship.
Cuba shook off its opening-day stumble with a straight-sets win over Colombia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-17, in Pool D of the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Monday, September 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Osniel Mergarejo powered the bounce-back victory with 14 points, supported by Jose Masso with 12 and Marlon Yan with 11, as the three Cubans reached double figures.
Miguel Amaranto led Colombia with 18 points, but his team dropped to 0-2 in the tournament.
Afterward, Mergarejo emphasized both relief and focus on what comes next: “Today is good. We’re very happy for the win today, Colombia is a good team.”
But with powerhouse Team USA up next, he pointed to preparation: “Tomorrow we practice block and serving, very important for the next match [vs. Team USA].”
Blocking will be crucial for Cuba in its next game against Team USA. Photo: Volleyball World
Serve and block have been a double-edged sword for Cubao so far.
While they’ve combined for 14 blocks and 10 aces in the first two games, the team also gave up 17 blocks and eight aces.
Team USA were tenacious in their own serve and block game in the first victory over Colombia, firing eight aces to go along with six rejections.
The Americans already own one win in Pool D and were set to face Portugal later in the day, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown between two perennial contenders.
Cuba will challenge Team USA on Wednesday, September 17.
(With reports from Jamie Velasco)
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]