On the sands of Adelaide, Australia, The saying was true and the curse was broken. The third foray into the World Championship beach volleyball It was for the Cubans Noslen Díaz and Jorge Luis Alayo a watershed in their destiny, since they had never before gone this far, to be among the 16 best couples in the universe.
The story took a turn when it was just dawn this Tuesday in Havana. Thousands of kilometers from home they surrendered the always complicated Americans Partain and Benesh, after three rounds of a tense fight, reflects the official website of the tournament.
TO THE EIGHTH FINALS!
Cuban duo beats Partain/Benesh from the USA 2-1 (18-21, 21-19, 12-15) in the Beach Volleyball World Cup:
2️⃣ Jorge Alayo
◾25 PTS
◾21 ATK
◾2 BLK
◾2 ACES1️⃣ Noslen Díaz
◾14 PTS
◾14 ATK⏭️ Next challenge: Schalk/Shaw pic.twitter.com/Uokycv1BVy
— Sports Andy Lans (@DeportesAndy) November 18, 2025
It seemed that fortune smiled on them from the very beginning of hostilities, when they managed to impose power and skill to take over the first set with a score of 21-18.
However, the northerners were also willing to avoid saying goodbye to the competition, and with a tight 21-19 they managed to balance the scoreboard, as a prelude to the tension expected for the decisive segment.
The growth of Díaz and Alayo since their Olympic debut in Paris 2024 came to light in the most complex moments of the tie break, which they resolved with a 15-12 in their favor that placed them in unprecedented territory and with options to continue making history.
Once again Alayo led the way in offensive work, signing 25 points and an effectiveness in that area of 60%, while his teammate contributed 14 and shone on defense, with 13 positive actions.
The key to the outcome fell on unforced errors, as the Americans, superior in attack (36-35) and blocking (5-2), committed 16 to only six of their rivals.
For now, the Cuban duo has lost in only two rounds and shows a perfect pace, after completing the group segment with success in their three presentations.
Cubans come back to lead the group in the beach volleyball World Cup
The new milestone joins a splendid season, in which they also debuted on the podium of an Elite 16 World Pro Tour tournament, plus other podiums in competitions on that circuit and top-level competitions.
The extensive preparation program deployed throughout the campaign weighs on the good moment they are experiencing in the Australian event, something they had not enjoyed before either.
It remains to be seen how far they are able to advance now, when they have to face the enormous obstacle that they will have to overcome next Thursday, when they face fellow Americans Schalk and Shaw, currently the best in their country and number 20 in the world rankings.
They will arrive with spirits through the roof, after truncating the dream of the Argentine Capagrosso brothers, members of the vanguard of the universal elite, which demonstrates that from now on Cubans will find only “giants” on the other side of the net.
