Mexico claims straight-set victory over Suriname

to open Pan American Cup

LEÓN, Guanajuato, August 26, 2025. – Host team Mexico got off to a strong start in the 18th Senior Men’s Pan American Volleyball Cup, defeating Suriname 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-17) at the Domo de la Feria in León.

Mexico (1-0) will face the Dominican Republic (0-1) in its next Pool C match, while Suriname (0-1) will meet Chile (1-0).

The opening set was evenly matched, tied at 7 points, until Mexico pulled ahead with Brandon López leading the offense and two consecutive aces from Isaías Aguirre to make it 12-8. Despite efforts from Shemar Jameson and Anferney Schmeltz to close the gap, a spike from Franky Hernández off the Surinamese block sealed the set for Mexico.

From there, the hosts controlled the match from start to finish, cruising through the next two sets.

Mexico outperformed Suriname in attack (39-25), blocking (5-1), and service points (4-1), while also committing fewer unforced errors (22-27).

With a rotated lineup, Mexico’s top scorers were Mauro Fuentes, Ridl Garay, and Franky Hernández, each with 8 points. On Suriname’s side, Zefanio Breinburg stood out as the leading scorer with 16 points.

After the victory, Mexican captain Mauro Fuentes said: “We had a solid attack, we were consistent in reception, and with good passes we were able to attack comfortably. Suriname had a better presentation than in previous occasions, I think they’re on the right path. We need to improve our aggressiveness and consistency from the service line.”

Suriname’s captain Keven Sporkslede commented: “This is not the level of play in our area; we come from the CAZOVA zone. It wasn’t bad for the first match. We had good moments, but higher-level teams can sustain momentum for longer. We hope to stay consistent to put up a better fight and will try to improve for the next match.”