Pan Am Thriller
Gavin Schmitt hits against Puerto Rico. Photo courtesy of fpvoleibol.com
Canada won’t be on the podium for the first time in three years at the Pan American Cup men’s volleyball tournament after losing a five-set thriller to Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals yesterday at the Pan American men’s volleyball tournament being held in San Juan Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico ranked 15th internationally, took the nearly three-hour long match 25-23, 17-25, 25-22, 26-28, 16-14. Gavin Schmitt of Saskatoon and Fred Winters of Victoria led the Canadians with 19 and 17 points respectively.
Canada squandered a two set lead and lost in five to Brazil on Tuesday night in its opening match. The Brazilians, ranked number-one in the world, but fielding a young team for the tournament took the two hour plus match 16-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-8. The Canadians appeared headed to a comfortable victory winning the first two sets and leading 17-12 in the third. But the Brazilians staged an impressive rally earning 10 of the next 11 points en route to a third set win.
Canada advanced to the quarterfinals on Wednesday with an impressive straight sets victory over Colombia. The Canadians evened their record to 1-1 defeating a young Colombian squad 28-26, 25-16, 25-14.
The Canadians, ranked 20th in the world, in their first tournament of the 2010 season, will now meet the Dominican Republic in the fifth place match on Saturday.
Canada won the silver at the last two Pan Am Cups losing to the U.S., in both finals while Puerto Rico were silver medallists in 2007, its only medal showing in the five-year history of the tournament.
In the other quarterfinal, the U.S., defeated the Dominican Republic 25-14, 25-18, 25-18 and will face Brazil in the other semifinal in a battle between the top two rank teams in the world although neither is fielding its top squad.
Notes from VC
