TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, May 31, 2026. – Peru secured the bronze medal at the Girls’ U17 Pan American Cup after a dramatic five-set victory over Canada, prevailing 3-2 (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 25-19, 15-10) at the Jorge Galeano Gymnasium.
This marks Peru’s second medal in the history of the competition, following their silver in 2024. The South Americans closed the tournament with a 3-1 win-loss record, while Canada finished in fourth place with a 2-3 record. This was the second time in the event that Peru beat Canada.
Peru opened the match strongly, never trailing in the first set thanks to the offensive power of Fernanda Pinto and Nahir Cueva, who sealed the set with a decisive block over Adeline Manning.
Canada responded in the second set with an early 6-1 lead, fueled by Seacret Schick’s serving and Shayla Byrnell’s blocking. Despite Peru’s comeback attempt led by Cielo Quispe, Canada leveled the match with Byrnell’s kill.
The third set followed a similar pattern, with Canada racing ahead 4-0 behind Schick’s serves. Peru fought back through Valentina Valera, but Canada’s blocking unit of Ella Grapentine, Victoria Cheung, and Schick maintained control. A kill from Naya Grimm gave Canada a 2-1 lead.
Determined to extend the contest, Peru rallied in the fourth set. With the score tied at 8-all, Kiara Lazo Pacheco, Valera, and Ana Marcela Manrique combined to push Peru ahead 14-10. The South Americans never looked back, forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the tie-break, Peru surged to a 4-0 lead with Pinto’s blocking and Canadian errors. Pacheco’s relentless attack widened the gap to 10-5. Canada saved two match points, but Cueva’s final kill sealed the bronze medal for Peru.
Statistically, Peru held a slight edge in all areas: attacks (62-61), blocks (9-8), and aces (7-6). Peru benefited from 29 Canadian errors while committing 22 of their own.
Nahir Cueva led Peru with 19 points, followed by Valentina Valera (16), Fernanda Pinto (15), and Kiara Lazo Pacheco (11). Canada’s top scorers were Seacret Schick with 18 points, while Adeline Manning and Shayla Byrnell added 16 each.
Brazilian head coach of Peru Marcel Bencardino praised his team’s resilience: “The girls weren’t enjoying themselves at the beginning. They improved in the second and third set, enjoying themselves more. In the fourth set, with a change of positions and rotation, it worked; this was the main factor to win the fourth and fifth sets.”
Canada’s head coach Richard Schick reflected on the experience: “This was an amazing opportunity for these girls. A special shout out to everybody who supported us back in Canada, especially our Pacific Coast Club family. Congrats to Peru, and thanks to the Honduran people for their hospitality and support.”
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