Before an Avenir Centre turned into a cauldron and with the crowd fully behind the hosts, the Cubans resisted the pressure of a night that seemed written for Canada and ended up imposing their power to complete a historic victory in the recent memory of the island's volleyball.

The Caribbean team took control from the start with 25-21 and 25-23 wins, but the hosts responded 25-23 in the third set to prolong the uncertainty into a fourth chapter in which Cuba rose again and sealed the ticket with another 25-22.

The Cuban team found its greatest arguments in attack and serving, while Canada stood out in blocking and turned the visitors' errors into a constant threat, although the pressure of the stage and the push from the stands eventually gave way to the determination of the Caribbean squad.

Marlon Yant, with 25 points, led the Cuban offense, followed by Michel Ángel López with 22, while Stephen Maar led Canada with 22 units and Eric Loeppky contributed 14.

The victory takes on a special dimension because of the opponent, since it was precisely Canada that Cuba defeated to obtain its qualification for Rio de Janeiro 2016, before later falling to the North Americans in the battle for the Tokyo 2020 berth.

History also held a more recent debt, because Canada had defeated Cuba 3-0 in the semifinals of the NORCECA Continental Championship held at this same venue, while the Caribbean team later achieved its world championship qualification by beating the Dominican Republic.

Now, when the only Olympic berth was once again before them and the stands roared for the local team, the Cubans changed the outcome, struck back, and transformed that defeat into a night of sporting vindication.

Cuba, absent from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, will thus return to the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028, where it will try to extend a story whose last chapter was in Rio de Janeiro and that was reborn tonight in Moncton.