Cuba Earns First Win at Pan American Cup

LEÓN, Mexico, September 12, 2026.- Cuba earned its first victory at the 2026 Women’s Pan American Cup with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-16) straight-set win over Guatemala on Saturday at the Domo de la Feria in León, Guanajuato.

Cuba improved its record to 1-1 in Pool B, while Guatemala played its first match of the tournament.

Cuba took control of the first set after building a 10-6 lead and quickly extended the margin to 16-8 before closing it out 25-11. Guatemala put up greater resistance in the second, but the Cubans pulled away after an 18-14 advantage and scored the final seven points to take the set 25-14.

Guatemala showed its best level in the third set. After an even start, the Central American team moved ahead 11-9, and the score remained close until Cuba held a 15-14 advantage. From there, the Cubans regained control and pulled away 20-15 before completing the victory 25-16.

Attack and blocking were decisive for Cuba, which held advantages of 36-18 in attacks and 10-0 in blocks, while also leading Guatemala 4-1 in aces. The Cubans also committed fewer errors, 22 compared to Guatemala’s 25.

Evilania Martínez and Jessica Aguilera led Cuba with 11 points each, while Yalain Regla De La Peña and Whitney James contributed 10 points apiece.

Andrea Garcés was Guatemala’s leading scorer with 7 points, followed by Natalia Pérez with 6.

Cuba (1-1) will have a rest day on Sunday, while Guatemala will face host Mexico at 8:00 p.m.

Evilania Martínez, Cuba’s top scorer: “All of our opponents are strong, and we can’t take any of them for granted. Everyone wants to go out and win, just like we do. At times we dropped a little to Guatemala’s level, but little by little we were able to secure the straight-set victory for our first win of the tournament. Tomorrow, we have a rest day, and after that we have to keep playing with the same determination and energy.”

Mia Sopegno, Guatemala captain: “It was our first match, and we’re proud because we improved as the match went on. That showed that we were gaining confidence, which will help us in the upcoming matches. Cuba has very tall players, and we had to adapt as best as possible. I think we played well.”