PONCE, Puerto Rico, August 28, 2026. – Canada advanced to the championship match of the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Final Six after defeating Mexico in straight sets 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-22) in Friday’s semifinal at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium.
This will mark Canada’s fifth appearance in the Final Six championship match, where it will seek its first-ever gold medal after finishing runner-up on four previous occasions. Canada will face the winner of the other semifinal between the United States and Puerto Rico.
Mexico, which has won one gold medal and two bronze medals in the history of the Final Six, will face the loser of the United States-Puerto Rico semifinal in the bronze medal match this Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Daniil Hershtynovich led Canada with 13 points, followed by Trent Cherewaty with nine. For Mexico, Franky Hernández led the scoring with 12 points.
In the team statistics, Canada held a 4-2 advantage in blocks, while Mexico led in attacks 37-35 and aces 4-2. The difference came in errors, with Mexico committing 34 compared to Canada’s 20.
The opening set remained close throughout, with neither team able to establish a decisive advantage. The teams were tied at 21 before Canada produced the stronger finish. A block by Arthur Szwarc gave the Canadians set point at 24-21, and Cherewaty eventually closed the set with an attack for the 25-22 win.
Canada held a bigger margin in the second set. After a competitive start, the Canadians pulled away and built an 18-11 advantage, putting Mexico under pressure. Canada maintained control down the stretch to take the set 25-19 and move ahead 2-0.
Mexico challenged again in the third set, which was tied at 21. Canada responded in the decisive moments, moving ahead 23-21 before closing the set 25-22 to secure its place in the championship match.
Jeremy Love #81 – Canada
“Mexico is a great team. In fact, we were able to play some friendly matches against them between NORCECA and the Final Six. They’re a great team, so we had to dig deep into our game plan. I think our coaches did a great job designing a solid plan for us to follow. We have several injured players, but I think we’re just going to try to rest as much as we can, eat well, support each other, and make sure everyone is ready to help us win.”
Axel Téllez #9 – Mexico
“I believe Canada, as everyone in volleyball knows, is a very good and organized team. For Mexico, we were missing many things at the end of the sets, especially when timeouts were called. There are several things we need to improve drastically, honestly. Congratulations to Canada, best of luck in the final, and may the best team win. Regardless of whether our next opponent is the United States or Puerto Rico, they are always very strong teams. But I think that if we maintain consistency in both serving and defense, we can fight for that bronze medal.”
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