Canada pushes back against Puerto Rico

Calgary, Aug. 06, 2025:  Canada beat Puerto Rico on the second day of the 2025 NORCECA U21 Men’s Pan American Cup at the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex & Chief Jim Starlight Centre near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Puerto Rico put on pressure in the last two sets, but Canada recovered to win 3-1 (25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 25-23).

Opposite Luke Lodewyks of Canada led all scoring with 21 points (17 kills, 1 block and 3 aces), followed by teammate Daniil Hershtynovich with 20 (15 kills, 1 block and 4 aces).

“It was great, Puerto Rico has a really strong team, and we were happy to close out that fourth set,” said Canada’s head coach Chris Voth. “All of these teams are good teams, and I think USA is a strong team and we are really going to have to play well if we are going to be competitive in that match (tomorrow). But all these teams have their strengths, so we’re going to have to continue to grow and keep being consistent.”

Middle blocker Eliel David Salva contributed 15 points to Puerto Rico’s strong effort.

Canada plays undefeated USA, and Puerto Rico plays Chile on Thursday.