SANTIAGO — The Pan American Games in Santiago witnessed intense volleyball action as Cuba and Colombia emerged victorious in their respective quarterfinal matches, earning spots in the semifinals.
Cuba Survives Puerto Rico’s Challenge
Cuba staged a thrilling five-set win against Puerto Rico (25-16, 25-21, 13-25, 22-25, 15-11) to secure their place in the semifinals. A clash against the current champions, Argentina, awaits them on Friday. Puerto Rico, despite the loss, will continue to vie for the fifth to eighth positions, facing Mexico next.
Cuba’s Miguel Angel López spearheaded his team’s win with an impressive 28 points, backed by Miguel Gutiérrez and Alejandro González who posted 18 and 15 points, respectively. Puerto Rico showed resilience by erasing a two-set deficit but fell short in the decisive tie-break set.
Colombia Overpowers Chile in Front of Home Crowd
Earlier, Colombia clinched their semifinal berth with a hard-fought win over hosts Chile (25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23). They now look forward to an encounter with Brazil in the semis. Colombia’s win was crafted through strong blocking and serving, with key performances by Gustavo Larrahondo and Daniel Aponza, both racking up 17 points.
Upcoming Semifinal Showdowns
The semifinals are set to be electrifying, with Cuba preparing to take on Argentina and Colombia gearing up for a confrontation with Brazil.
