The Cuban men's volleyball team will be facing a true race against time this Thursday: departing for Canada divided into two groups — one through Panama and the other through Mexico — with an expected arrival in Moncton around 11:15 a.m. on September 11, the same day they are set to debut in the 2026 Norceca Continental Championship.
According to sports journalist Raúl Rodríguez on his social media, the logistical setback forced the Cuban Volleyball Federation to urgently arrange a change in the tournament schedule.
The Federation confirmed that discussions have already taken place with the organizers and the Norceca management, and a formal request has been submitted to the FIVB to move the opening match against the Dominican Republic from its original time of 1:30 p.m. to the last slot of the day, around 7:00 p.m.
If the change is approved, the team would have several hours to travel from the airport, settle in, and partially recover before stepping onto the field.
It is not the first time that Cuban volleyball faces logistical issues to compete abroad: in June 2025, only six players were able to travel to Belgrade for the Nations League due to visa errors, while eight athletes were stranded in Cuba.
Despite the current setback, the team continued training in Havana while awaiting a solution for the relocation.
The tournament, which will take place at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, from September 11 to 16, brings together eight teams and is of double significance for Cuba: the top three places qualify for the 2027 Volleyball World Cup, and the champion—excluding the United States, which is already qualified as the host—will advance to Los Angeles 2028.
Cuba is in Group A along with the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and the United States; Group B consists of Puerto Rico, Mexico, Curacao, and the host nation, Canada.
The leaders of each group advance directly to the semifinals, while the teams in second and third place will compete in the quarterfinals.
Under the direction of coach Jesús Cruz, the delegation is traveling with 14 players: setters Christian Thondike and Ronaldo Flaquet; opposites Alejandro González "Ragnar" and Daniel Martínez; middle blockers Robertlandy Simón, Alexis Wilson, David Fiel, and Thiago Suárez; outside hitters Miguel Ángel López, Marlon Yant, Osniel Mergarejo, and Yusniel Martí; and liberos Lázaro Arrechea and Yonder García.
Simón, a historical figure of the team, returned to the national team in 2026 after announcing his retirement in June 2024, while Yant arrives as one of the deadliest attackers in the international circuit: he was the top scorer in the 2025 Nations League with 237 points.
Cuba closed the 2026 Nations League in the 16th position out of 18 teams, with three victories and nine losses, although it secured its place for the 2027 edition.
The NORCECA 2026 thus becomes the most significant event of the cycle for Cuban men's volleyball, and the team will have to face it almost immediately after getting off the plane.
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