MORELOS, Mexico, August 11, 2026.- Canada remained undefeated at the 2026 Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Costa Rica 3-1 (25-18, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21) on Tuesday at Poliforum 2 of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
Canada earned its third consecutive victory in Pool A, while Costa Rica dropped to a 1-2 record after losing the first two sets, winning the third, and keeping the fourth set close.
Canada will have a rest day on day four of competition, while Costa Rica will close out pool play against Puerto Rico.
Costa Rica surprised Canada with a 4-0 start in the first set, but Canada quickly responded and took control of the set. The Canadians maintained their pace in the second set to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The momentum shifted in the third set. Costa Rica raised its level of play and, after a 13-13 tie, managed to pull away. The Central Americans built a five-point lead at 20-15 and held off Canada’s comeback attempt to take the set 25-22.
The fourth set was competitive once again. Canada managed to jump to a four-point lead at 16-12, but Costa Rica continued to pressure and stayed close on the scoreboard. The Canadians entered the closing stretch ahead 21-18 and secured the victory 25-21.
Canada produced more points in attacks (47-41) and blocks (12-7), while both teams scored four aces. Canada conceded 27 points on unforced errors and Costa Rica 34.
Three Canadian players scored in double figures. Arthur Szwarc led the team with 16 points, Kale Orr added 12, and Cody Hudson finished with 10.
Costa Rica’s Gilberth Solano led all scorers with 20 points, while Ignacio Morales added 13 points for Costa Rica.
Arthur Szwarc of Canada: “I think we had a lot of service errors. We’re getting used to the altitude in the gym and we’re still making some adjustments. For the last set, we knew we just had to put our serves in to close out the match, and that’s what we did; that way you get to play more volleyball. We don’t play tomorrow, but we’ll train to prepare to face the United States. We’ll be more acclimatized to the gym, and we’ll look to limit our service errors. We’ll play our game and anything can happen. The United States is a good team, and it will be an interesting match.”
Gilberth Solano of Costa Rica: “It was a great match. Our inexperience competing at this level cost us in the first two sets. We changed our attitude for the next two, won the third, and competed well in the fourth; we have to believe in ourselves. I’m very proud of the team and what we showed. We’re a young team that is competing well.”
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