MORELOS, Mexico, August 16, 2026.- Canada bounced back from its semifinal loss to defeat Mexico 3-1 (28-26, 25-18, 20-25, 25-23) and win its second consecutive bronze medal at the 2026 Men’s Pan American Cup on Sunday in Morelos.
Canada finished the competition with a 5-1 record and won the bronze medal for the second straight year. In the previous edition, Canada also placed third after defeating Colombia. Mexico finished fourth with a 3-3 record.
After prevailing in a tight first set 28-26, Canada took control of the second 25-18. Mexico responded by taking the third 25-20 and extended the battle for the medal to a fourth set that remained close until the final points.
Mexico held a 22-21 lead in the fourth set, but Canada responded with three consecutive points. Owen Weekes and Trent Cherewaty scored back-to-back blocks to put the Canadians ahead 24-22 before they closed out the set 25-23 on a Mexican service error to secure the bronze medal.
Canada made the difference at the net with a 12-5 advantage in blocks and also committed fewer errors, 28 to 45. Mexico led 53-39 in attacks and 6-2 in service points.
Arthur Szwarc led Canada with 17 points, while Owen Weekes contributed 15. Mexico’s Franky Hernández led all socrers with 23 points, while Diego González added 10.
Canada’s head coach David Preston highlighted his team’s response following the semifinal loss.
“After yesterday’s performance, I was really proud of how they recovered. Yesterday was pretty tough for us. We made a lot of mistakes yesterday, and we talked about not repeating those mistakes today. So, I was really, really proud of our guys. It’s amazing to play here. The fans are so supportive of volleyball in general, not just of Mexico. It’s such a great place to play. We’re really happy,” Preston said.
Mexico’s head coach Carlos Eduardo Schwanke highlighted his team’s improved performance compared to the semifinal.
“I am pleased that we fought harder today and had a better performance compared to yesterday, when the match was dominated by the United States. We need to raise our level to get to where we want to be,” Schwanke said.
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