Canada to face U.S. for gold at NORCECA men's Final 6 volleyball tournament in Edmonton

Canada will play for the gold medal at the NORCECA Final Six men's volleyball tournament in Edmonton despite losing to Mexico 3-2 (20-25, 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, 9-15) for their second consecutive defeat in the tournament on Saturday.

Canada closes out round-robin play with 5-set loss to Mexico

Three volleyball players wearing black uniform are seen behind the net with their hands up as they try to block a shot by an opposition player in front of them, seen wearing a white, green and red shirt.
The Canadian men's volleyball team was defeated by Mexico 3-2 (20-25, 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, 9-15) at the NORCECA Final Six action on Saturday in Edmonton. (Paul Swanson/NORCECA)

Canada will play for the gold medal at the NORCECA Final Six men's volleyball tournament in Edmonton despite losing to Mexico 3-2 (20-25, 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, 9-15) for their second consecutive defeat in the tournament on Saturday.

The young Canadian squad came back from two sets down to tie the game at the Expo Centre, but their momentum was erased as Mexico stormed to a 10-3 lead en route to clinching the fifth set.

Christopher Byam of Bow Island, Alta., led Canada with 20 points. Cory Schoenherr of Waterloo, Ont., and Isaac Heslinga of Orangeville, Ont., also reached double digits with 12 and 11, respectively.

Schoenherr had five of Canada's 13 block points, a game-high. Jonathan Portelance of Sherbrooke, Que., led the Canadian squad with three service points — the same number of aces earned by the whole Mexican team.

WATCH | Canada comes up short against Mexico in Edmonton:

Canada comes up short against Mexico in five-set match at NORCECA Men’s Final 6

1 year ago
Duration 2:05
Canada dropped their second straight contest (25-20, 28-26, 20-25, 23-25, 15-9) at the 2023 Pan American Cup NORCECA Men’s Final 6 in Edmonton.

Luis David Hernandez Baca led Mexico with 19 points.

The Canadians will face the undefeated United States for gold on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Watch live coverage on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

Canada went unbeaten in its first three matches, earning 3-1 wins over Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba before falling to the Americans and Mexico.

Winning two sets on Saturday was instrumental for the Canadians, who were able to edge Mexico in the standings despite sharing a 3-2 record. Teams can be awarded anywhere between five and zero points in a match based on how many sets the games last.

The Canadians were the only team to win a set over the Americans in the tournament, suffering a 3-1 loss on Friday.

The matches between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for fifth-place (1.30 p.m. ET) and Cuba vs. Mexico for bronze (4 p.m. ET) will also be streamed live on CBC Sports' digital platforms.

Canada's roster is comprised of Volleyball Canada NextGen Program players and athletes that played on Canada's 11th-place team at the under-21 world championship in Bahrain in July.

Canada roster

  • Christopher Byam — Bow Island, Alta.
  • Jonah Dueck — Rosenort, Man.
  • Reeve Gingera — Calgary
  • Mason Greves — Calgary
  • Isaac Heslinga — Orangeville, Ont.
  • Zachary Hollands — Victoriaville, Que.
  • Liam Kristjanson — Oak River, Man.
  • Isaiah Mamer — Wilkie, Sask.
  • Darian Picklyk — Winnipeg
  • Jonathan Portelance — Sherbrooke, Que.
  • Jacob Sargent — Lethbridge, Alta.
  • Kaden Schmidt — Mississauga, Ont.
  • Cory Schoenherr — Waterloo, Ont.
  • James Vincett — Calgary

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