MORELOS, Mexico, August 9, 2026.- Canada started the 19th Men’s Pan American Cup with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-19) victory over Trinidad and Tobago in the opening match of the tournament at Polideportivo 2 of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM).
The Pool A match began evenly, with Trinidad and Tobago staying close on the scoreboard for much of the first set before Canada pulled away in the final points to take the lead in the match.
The Canadians delivered their strongest performance in the second set, applying pressure from the service line and showing greater effectiveness in attack to build a wide advantage and win it 25-13. Trinidad and Tobago responded in the third and pulled within 20-19, but Canada delivered in the decisive moments to close out the match in straight sets.
Canada led the statistics with advantages of 37-23 in attacks, 6-2 in blocks and 8-2 in serves. The teams recorded a similar number of unforced errors, with Canada committing 25 and Trinidad and Tobago 24.
Jacob Sargent led Canada’s offense with 16 points and Daniil Hershtynovich contributed 12. For Trinidad and Tobago, Daynte Stewart and Michael Burkett scored 8 points each.
In the next round of Group A, Canada will face Puerto Rico, while Trinidad and Tobago will play Costa Rica.
Jeremy Love, captain of Canada: “It was awesome. This is a really nice venue, the crowd was good, and we came away with the win. That’s all we can ask for in the first game in a new environment, a new gym, playing a team we haven’t really seen before. So, yeah, we’re happy with the result.”
Daynte Stewart, captain of Trinidad and Tobago: “I’m satisfied with the team’s performance. I think we gained a lot from the match. I think we could have played better, especially in the second set. We have a young team, so I’m not really disappointed with the performance. I think we did some good things, and we just have to be more consistent.”
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