Cuba Volley’s Russia 3-0

HAVANA TIMES, July 5 — Cuba surprised Russia with a 3-0 sweep in only one hour and nineteen minutes on Sunday to emerge alone in first place in Group C of the World Volleyball League.

The scores of 25-19, 25-17 and 25-21 were a total turnaround from Saturday when the two squads battled for nearly two and half hours before Russia won the fifth tiebreaker set.

Japan upset Bulgaria 3-2 in the other Group C match up on Sunday.

After the first four weekends of play Cuba has a 6-2 record followed by Russia 5-3, Bulgaria 3-5 and Japan 2-6.

In Group A team USA leads with a 6-2 record, followed by Italia 5-3, Netherlands 3-5 and China 2-6. Group B is headed by Serbia (5-3) with France (4-4), South Korea and Argentina (3-4).

Group D is led by Brazil 7-1, which lost its first match of the league to Finland (4-4) on Saturday. Argentina is also 4-4 and Venezuela in last place with a 1-7 record.