Canada wins NORCECA’s bronze medal

MAYAGÜEZ, Puerto Rico, September 3, 2011. - Canada edged Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-14) in the bronze medal match of the Men’s Continental NORCECA Championship on Saturday.

Long rallies up to the third set, kept the thrill going on as Puerto Rico wasn’t going to give up easily. In 2005 was the last time Canada was in NORCECA’s top three. With double digits, Gavin Schmitt topped Canada with 21 points, also Toontje Van Lankvelt with 14, Frederic Winters with 13 and Steve Brinkman with 10.  Victor Rivera contributed with 11 points for the host.

“Happy for today and still disappointed with yesterday’s loss, it’s been a while since we’ve got into the podium in a NORCECA event” said Winters, the captain for Canada.

“Canada deserved to win, we began strong but we started to invent things, and couldn’t keep it up” words of Victor Rivera, puertorican captain.

Coach Glenn Hoag added: “my worry was that the team wouldn’t carry on because of last night, but they got into the match; the whole summer has been positive for us, but we must work twice as much as we’re not traditionally a volleyball country.”

Ramon Hernandez, assistant coach of Puerto Rico said “this is the fourth time Canada has beat us in less than two weeks because we haven’t been able to play well all summer long and in the end Canada was better, we must work harder.”