Cuba Advances to Quarterfinals at NORCECA Continental Championship

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 23, 2026.- Cuba advanced to the quarterfinals after closing the preliminary round with a 3-0 (25-7, 25-11, 25-6) victory over Costa Rica at the 2026 NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship, held at the “Prof. Ricardo Gioriver Arias” Volleyball Palace.

Cuba finished the preliminary round with a 2-1 record, securing second place in Pool B and a spot in the quarterfinals. Costa Rica will move on to the classification matches for positions 5-8.

Cuba held commanding advantages of 33-11 in attacks, 9-1 in blocks, and 9-0 in aces. The Cubans also committed fewer errors, 12 compared to Costa Rica’s 24.

Claudia Tarín led all scorers with 13 points, followed by Whitney James with 12, while Laura Suárez and Greisy Fine added 7 points each.

For Costa Rica, Lakysha Thompson scored 5 points and Sofía Arroyo added 3.

Luizomar De Moura, Cuba’s coach: “We played with a lot of responsibility and never took Costa Rica lightly because of the difference in level. We gave everything on the court and put into practice everything we had worked on in training. I’m very happy that we have advanced to the quarterfinals.”

Ciro Zoratti, Costa Rica’s coach: “We didn’t play a good match; it wasn’t the same as our previous two matches. Cuba gave everything on the court, and I take that as a sign of respect because they didn’t take it easy on us. They treated us like any other opponent, and when Cuba plays at this level, it’s impossible for us to compete.”