As the second day of the NORCECA Final Six Pan American Cup came to a close at the “Ricardo Arias” National Volleyball Pavilion, three teams emerged triumphant: the Dominican Republic, the United States, and Mexico.
In a thrilling five-set match, the Dominican Republic narrowly edged out Cuba with a 3-2 victory (25-14, 21-25, 25-16, 22-25, 15-10). The dynamic duo, Gaila González and Yonkaira Peña, played pivotal roles with 18 and 17 points respectively for the Dominican side. Cuba’s Dezirett Madan and Greisy Fine also shone, chipping in 16 and 14 points. The spike game was evenly matched at 51-51, but the Dominicans dominated in blocks, 14-7.
The United States breezed past Puerto Rico in the day’s second match with a clean 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-15, 25-7). Standouts from the US team included Kayla Haneline with 8 points, while Madeline Gates added 7. Stephanie Samedy and Logan Eggleston also made their marks with 6 points apiece. Puerto Rico’s Camila Soto led her team with four points. Impressively, the US led in spikes 26-8 and dominated in blocks 4-1.
Kicking off the day, Mexico clinched their win against Canada in a 3-1 victory (25-22, 25-20, 17-25,25-18). María Rodríguez was the star player for Mexico, amassing 18 points. Grecia Castro and Karen Rivera also played key roles, with 18 and 14 points respectively. For Canada, Gabrielle Attieh was a standout with 12 points, and Kaylee Plouffe and Thana Fayad each added 10. Mexico led in spikes 52-38, but Canada held the edge in blocks, 8-5.
