Canada beat Puerto Rico to start U19 Pan Am Cup

CUERNAVACA, Morelos, July 8, 2025.– Canada kicked off their U19 Boys’ Pan American Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory over Puerto Rico in a tightly contested Pool A match 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20) at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM) Gymnasium.

The match was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, with Canada ultimately sealing the win despite a strong comeback attempt from Puerto Rico, who erased a 19-24 deficit, looking for a fourth set. Canada ultimately ended the game with a stuff block from middle blocker Simon Oberbuchner.

Canada’s powerful offense was key, outscoring Puerto Rico 41-22 in attacks. They also held a slight advantage in service points (5-2). Puerto Rico was more effective in blocks with seven against five and committed fewer errors (24-35).

Outside hitter Marcus Barrett and opposite Jarom Rowin led Canada’s scoring efforts with 11 points apiece. For Puerto Rico, Gustavo Alvarez scored seven points.

In their next matches, Canada (1-0) will face the United States (1-0), while Puerto Rico (0-1) looks to bounce back against Venezuela (0-1) as group play continues in Cuernavaca.

Team Canada captain, Marcus Barrett: “It was a great last set for the guys, and we came out super strong. I’m really happy how we played and starting with a win because it brings great energy to the team. I believe we have a shot of winning the tournament, we’ll go even stronger for our next matches.

Team Puerto Rico captain, Jean Paul Gonzalez: "It was a tough start. We had ups and downs, but with each game, we’ll gradually adjust to the new players on the team. In the end, we were more confident, and we need to believe more that we can do it."