MORELOS, Mexico, August 15, 2026.- Curaçao took ninth place at the nineteenth edition of the Men’s Pan American Cup after defeating Trinidad and Tobago in five sets 3-2 (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-12) on Saturday in Morelos.
The match was a roller coaster, with the teams trading control of the sets until reaching the tie-break. Curaçao took the lead in the fifth set, and a powerful spike by Marlison Kleinmoedig put them at match point. Trinidad and Tobago extended the match with a back-row attack by Michael Burkett before a service error sealed the victory for Curaçao.
Both teams scored 60 points on kills, while Curaçao held advantages of 13-10 in blocks and 5-0 in serves. Trinidad and Tobago committed fewer errors, 25 to 32.
Marlison Kleinmoedig led Curaçao with 21 points, followed by Timothy van Henneigen with 20 and Raygid Isenia with 14.
Michael Burkett led Trinidad and Tobago with 20 points, Jahreef Miguel added 15, Marley Davidson and Ayden Austin contributed 11 each, and Janeiro Atherley added 10.
“It wasn’t the match we expected; we thought we were going to win in three sets. The team’s energy wasn’t good; it has been a long week. We leave with homework because there are things we need to work on, as we are going to Canada for the Continental Championship,” said Curaçao head coach Henrich Daal.
“Yesterday’s loss to Guatemala hurt a little more. It has been a few years since we last came to a Pan American Cup, and all the teams showed a high competitive level. It was good for our region that we were here, and we hope to perform better next time,” said Trinidad and Tobago head coach Gideon Dickson.
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