DR falls to Cuba and takes silver in men’s volleyball
San Salvador
Cuba ratified last night its status as a world power by winning with its “B” team the gold medal in men’s volleyball at the Central American and Caribbean Games “San Salvador 2023” by defeating 3-0 (25-17), 25-17 , 25-22) to the Dominican Republic.
Javier Concepción, with 12 points, led the offensive of the representative of Cuba, which has its main team competing in the League of Nations.
The first quarter was very close from the initial whistle. A soft shot from center Rafael Burgos leveled the score at ten, but from then on the Greater Antilles began to impose its quality and took a three-point lead (17-13) that could not be overcome by the squad from Quisqueyan.
The favorites prevailed 25-17, a score that they repeated in the second by dominating it with relative ease.
In the third, the Dominican team raised their level of play and with a shot from captain Henry Tapia they got closer to 23-22. However, a service by Héctor Alexis Cruz that stayed in the net brought the dangerous rival just one point away from the title (24-22).
A lightning Concepción service that stung in a good zone put an end to the match.
The Dominican team had a notable improvement in relation to the participation it had five years ago in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, where it finished in last place with a record of 0-3.
Upon his return to the country, Professor Nelson Ramírez, secretary of the Dominican Volleyball Federation and director of the Men’s National Team Project, expelled six players for misconduct.
In the 77 years that Dominican volleyball has participated in the regional event, it has only lifted the champion’s trophy in “Veracruz 2014”, when they won gold by defeating Puerto Rico in five sets.
It is the third time that men’s volleyball has won the silver medal and the first time outside the country. In the XII Games of 1974, which took place in the country, he ranked second and also in “Santiago 86”.
In addition to Concepción, Miguel López and Jesús Herrera with 11 points each, as well as José Masso with 10, stood out in the offensive section for Cuba.
In the lost cause, Tapia and Cruz scored 11 goals each.