Cuba Finish Seventh at NORCECA U19

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 19, 2024.- Cuba defeated the hosts Honduras 3-0 (25-23, 29-27, 25-23) to finish in seventh place at the Girls U19 NORCECA Continental Championship at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium in Tegucigalpa.

Cuba finished the tournament with a 1-4 record for seventh place, while Honduras ended with a 0-5 record in eighth place.

Honduras pressured throughout the match, particularly with dominance in serving (11-8), but Cuba secured the victory with an advantage in attacks (37-34) and blocks (10-4). Both teams committed 24 unforced errors.

Cuba’s best scorer was outside hitter Salet Castillo with 12 points on 11 attacks and one block. Middle blocker Yalenis Marquez added 11 points on 8 attacks and 2 aces. Ashely Simon contributed with 9 points.

The top scorer of the match was Honduras' outside hitter Sasha Kawas, with 17 points on 15 attacks, one block, and one ace. She was joined by opposite María Fernanda Merino and middle blocker Andrea Schmucker, each with 9 points.

Yesica Brito, captain of Cuba: “We finished with our heads held high; there was no other option but to come out with the win.”

Marcos Sugiyama, head coach of Honduras: “The courage they showed today is very satisfying, displaying that we have good volleyball. The best part of the tournament is the learning experience the athletes had throughout this week, to look towards the future, they can change the path by training one day at a time, with motivation, gaining more confidence, being patient, and being resilient.”