Nogales, Mexico, June 14, 2024 – Canada earned a direct ticket in the semifinals of the Men’s U21 NORCECA Continental Championship after defeating Cuba 3-1 (17-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-21) on Thursday night in Nogales, Mexico.
Canada won its pool with a perfect 3-0 record (also beating Puerto Rico and Guatemala). Cuba finished second in the group with a 2-1 record and will face Suriname in quarterfinals on Friday.
Canadian opposite hitter Daniil Hershtynovich (Thornhill, ON) led all scorers with 24 points (19 attacks, 2 blocks, 3 aces). Outside hitter Piers de Greeff (Victoria, BC) added 20 points (16 attacks, 3 blocks, one ace), and middle blocker Cody Hudson (Calgary, AB) contributed a match-high of 7 blocks.
For Cuba, opposite hitter Daniel Martínez led with 20 points, including a team-high of five blocks. Kelly Oviedo added 13 points (12 attacks, one ace), and Carlos Pereira scored 12 points (8 attacks, 4 blocks).
After losing the first set, Canada quickly jumped to a 5-1 lead in the second set and finished strong with two blocks by De Greeff and a Cuban error. The third set was blocking spree, with Canada opening with three consecutive blocks. In the fourth set, with the score tied at 11 points, Canada pulled away thanks to a direct attack and two consecutive aces maintaining the lead until the end.
Canada’s head coach Dan Lewis told NORCECA: “I had to calm the team down (after the first set), get them to work on the game plan and they were able to do so. Today’s best skill was mental, they came back from losing the first set, they stayed focused to execute in different situations. I am proud of the guys; they are a young group and they’re doing so well.”
See the schedule here: https://bit.ly/3VnHlzV
Also of note, Canada will host the Women’s U21 Continental Championship later this month at the Pan Am Sports Centre in Toronto. Info here: https://volleyball.ca/en/competitions/u21-norceca-continental-championship
Volleyball Canada Media Contact:
Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676