Havana, September 9 (JIT) Cuba dominated Mexico in three sets and will face Canada this Saturday in the semifinals of the 2023 Norceca Men’s Volleyball Championship.

The match ended in just over an hour with scores of 25-20, 25-16 and 25-23. The substitutes entered the field, who were able to maintain the advantage guaranteed by regular training.

The challenge was launched by opponent Jesús Herrera, corner forwards Marlon Yant and Miguel Ángel López, passer Christian Thondike and central defenders Roamy Alonso and Javier Concepción. There García combined his role as libero with Alain Gorguet.

In the initial set, the Gutiérrez brothers, José Miguel and Miguel David, entered the field, followed successively by Osniel Mergarejo, the passer Lyván Taboada and the central defender Alexis Wilson. The young José Carlos Romero enters the service line.

When the Mexicans put pressure in the third period, technical director Jesús Cruz did not change the lineup and his students sealed the match.

Ours led in attack (47-40) and in service (7-1). They even made fewer errors (11-17) and only their rivals were better against it (6-4).

I kept them because these athletes need to acquire responsibilities and take charge of the task they have in a match, technical director Cruz, assisted by Mario Izquierdo, a duo of several years with the cadet and youth categories of the island.

It was an important match because it puts us in the semi-final and allows us to fight against Canada to advance into the gold medal discussion. In addition, it is a tournament that serves as preparation for the pre-Olympics, where all players are essential because it is a very strong event, he stressed.

The top scorer of the challenge was corner hitter Mergarejo with 15 points, including 10 kills, three serves and two blocks. Other contributors were Concepción (8), José Miguel (7), Herrera (6) and Yant (5).

For Mexico, Josué López (13) and his opposite Luis Hernández (12) reached double figures, one of the figures with which veteran coach Jorge Azair renews his ranks and has this group for the China Pre-Olympic Games and the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

In the other semifinal match this Saturday, the United States will have a net against the Dominican Republic, victim of Puerto Rico with consecutive sets of 25-19, 25-21 and 32-30 at the Coliseum and Convention Center in Charleston, capital of the state of West Virginia.

In the second hour, from 7:30 a.m., the Cubans will face the Canadians.