Canada stages massive comeback versus Cuba

VANCOUVER, Canada, January 11, 2020 – After dropping the first two sets against Team Cuba, the Canadian men’s team refused to quit, winning the next three sets to defeat the Cubans 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-12, 25-21, 15-9) in day two of the NORCECA Men’s Tokyo Qualification Tournament.

With the victory, the Canadian men sit 2-0 in the tournament and are the only undefeated team.

For the second day in a row, Stephen Maar led the way for Canada, collecting 21 points. Behind Maar, Ryan Sclater had a big game with 20 points, with Hoag coming in third with 11.

 “There’s no word for this game,” said team veteran Nicholas Hoag after the match. “We focused in on our game plan because there were some specific things we had to do and we executed it really well. We had to stay aggressive and we got the win in the end.”

Head coach Glenn Hoag also spoke after the victory, “We were controlling the match from a defensive perspective. Our offense was struggling and scoring – they were playing well.”

“We’re not done. We don’t have our ticket to Tokyo,” said Hoag. “Puerto Rico is playing well; they beat Mexico in straight sets. We’re going to go stretch, eat, get some rest and be ready for tomorrow.”