PONCE, Puerto Rico, August 23, 2026.- Canada opened the NORCECA Men’s Final Six with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-21) victory over Guatemala at the Juan “Pachín” Vicéns Auditorium in Ponce.
Canada controlled the opening set 25-14, but Guatemala raised its level in the second and third sets, keeping both close and forcing the Canadians to execute in the closing stages.
After Canada edged the second set 25-23, the third remained tied as late as 16-16. From that point, Canada pulled ahead with an attack through the middle, followed by a Guatemala attacking error from zone two and an ace from captain Jeremy Love, building an advantage that helped the Canadians close the set 25-21 and secure the straight-set victory.
Canada held the advantage in kills 35-30, blocks 7-2, and aces 6-1. The Canadians also committed fewer errors, 25 compared to Guatemala’s 27.
Andy Alexis Leonardo Blanco of Guatemala led all scorers with 14 points. For Canada, Jacob Sargent scored 12 points, Kale Orr added 10, and Cole Duncanson contributed 9.
Canada will return to the court on Monday to face host Puerto Rico, while Guatemala will open the day against the United States.
Jeremy Love, captain of Canada: “It’s always great to get a win, and that’s what we play this sport for. Guatemala is a great team. We didn’t play them in the last tournament, and they have a lot of really good players. Andy Alexis Leonardo Blanco is a tough guy to stop, so we just tried to control our side, follow the game plan, and I’m happy with the result.”
Carlos Fernando López Santiago, captain of Guatemala: “We made quite a few mistakes, but we also knew how to take advantage when they made mistakes. I feel it was a good start to the tournament; it’s a long event and the teams are very strong. Tomorrow, we have a tough match, but we hope to correct the mistakes we made today and have a better game.”
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