The Cuban men’s volleyball team defeated Colombia 3–0 in Pool D of the Volleyball World Championship, a tournament that brings together 32 national teams distributed across eight groups, running until the 28th of this month at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines.

First Victory for Cuba

According to the International Volleyball Federation’s official website (www.fivb.com), the squad led by Jesús Cruz secured its first win on Sunday with set scores of 25–22, 25–21, and 25–20 against Colombia. This came after an unexpected 1–3 loss (25–20, 22–25, 19–25, 19–25) to Portugal on Saturday. Cuba will close the group stage this Wednesday against the United States.

Against the Colombians, the Cubans dominated in attack (43 points to 31) and blocking (7–6). They gave up one more point on errors (23–22) while tying in service points (3–3).

Individual Performances

Among Cruz’s players, Osniel Mergarejo stood out with 13 points (11 in attack, one block, and one service ace). He was followed by José Massó (12/9-2-1) and Marlon Yant (11/10-1-0). For Colombia, Miguel Ángel Amaranto shone with 18 points (16-1-1), making him the top scorer of the match.

Other notable Cuban contributors, though not reaching double digits, included Javier Concepción (7/5-2-0) and Roberlandy Simón (7/5-1-1).

Group Standings and Upcoming Matches

With one win and one loss, Cuba will rest today, along with Colombia (0–2). Meanwhile, the United States will face Portugal in a clash of undefeated teams.

The full group distribution is as follows: