Canada Defeats Puerto Rico to Take the Lead in Pool B

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala, August 4, 2026. – Canada took over the top spot in Pool B with a 3-1 (26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 25-21) victory over Puerto Rico on the opening day of the 2026 Boys' U17 Pan American Cup, being held at the Multi-Sport Dome in Guatemala City.

Puerto Rico held a narrow lead through much of the opening set, but Canada rallied late, moved ahead at 23-22, and closed out the set 26-24. The second set followed a similar pattern until the teams were tied at 18, when the Canadians put together a seven-point run to pull away and take a two-set advantage.

Puerto Rico responded in the third set. After another closely contested battle, the Puerto Ricans found better offensive solutions at the key moments to erase the deficit and extend the match. In the fourth set, Canada rallied from a four-point deficit and regained control to secure the victory.

Canada led the team statistics in attacks (47-35) and blocks (13-6), while Puerto Rico held the edge in service points (7-5).

Canada’s captain Julian Josephs was the standout performer of the match with 33 points, including five aces. Bennett Krahn added 15 points.

For Puerto Rico, Fabián Rivera was the only player to reach double figures, finishing with 13 points.

With the result, Canada leads Pool B with four points, followed by the United States with three, Mexico with two, and Puerto Rico with one.

 Julian Josephs praised his team's resilience.

"I think our team battled really well. During the tough moments, we stayed composed, persevered, and came together as a team. We lost some energy during the match, but when Cooper came in to serve in the final points, he really made a difference. That helped us finish the match strong."

Puerto Rico’s captain Héctor Lavergne reflected on his team's performance.

"It was a difficult match against a very good opponent. Our biggest weakness was closing out the sets. We played well for most of the match, but we weren't able to finish the sets the way we wanted."

On Wednesday, Canada will face Mexico at 4:00 p.m., while Puerto Rico will open the second day of competition against the United States at 2:00 p.m.