Por Carlos Javier Prado Porcena 
The first day of the U-21 Volleyball Pan American Cup began today at the Ciudad Deportiva Coliseum with the matches corresponding to Group A between the teams of the Dominican Republic vs. Haiti and Canada vs. Puerto Rico.
It will continue with the match between the United States vs. Nicaragua and will close the day with the debut of the Cuban team against its counterpart from Guatemala.
After the three games of the knockout round, the first places in each zone will advance directly to the semifinals, while the second and third places will battle it out in the quarterfinal matches.
Calendar Tuesday June 6
10:00 Canada vs. Haiti
12:00 p.m. Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico
2:00 p.m. United States vs. Guatemala
16:00 Cuba vs. Nicaragua
Calendar Wednesday June 7
10:00 Haiti vs. Puerto Rico
12:00 p.m. Canada vs. Dominican Republic
2:00 p.m. Nicaragua vs. Guatemala
16:00 Cuba vs. USA
«Take revenge this time»
The mentor Jesús Cruz, technical director of the Cuban team will have the services of auxiliary hitters Bryan Camino, José Ramón Gómez, Félix Ernesto Rodríguez and Ronald Limonta; central defenders Yakdiel Contreras, Yusniel González, Alexis Wilson and José Ángel Morejón; the quarterbacks Yonni Iglesias and Ronaldo Flaquet; the libero Álvaro Ricardo and the star of the Cuban team and one of the greatest promises of our country, the young opposite Alejandro Miguel González from Matanzas.
The tall 2.08 cm opposite won the award for Best Opposite and Top Scorer at the last Pan American Cup and is one of the names on the list of 30 players that Technical Director Nicolás Vives has to face the commitments of the senior team in this upcoming international campaign.
“This team forms the basis of the previous event, but now we include four players under 19 years of age so that they can learn in competitions of this category. Next year we have to compete in the qualifier for the world contest and that way we will become familiar with this level” declared the Cuban coach to the press.
In the last edition of the Pan American Cup, the group from the largest of the Antilles was defeated in 5 sets by the United States in the semifinals and by the same result (3 x 2) by Canada in the discussion for the bronze medal; In this way, he was left not only without medals but also without qualifying for the Category World Cup that will be held in Bahrain next July.
The Pan American Cup represents the beginning of the qualification process with a view to the world event for under-21s scheduled for 2025 and it is mandatory to attend in order to compete in the 2024 Norceca championship to fight for World Cup tickets.
The Cubans have the chance to take revenge in this Pan American Cup and regain first place on the podium, an award that had been in Cuban hands for more than 5 years before last year’s disaster.
Translated by Casterman Medina de Leon