Canada finished pool play undefeated after its 25-21, 25-12, 25-10 victory over a spirited T&T in their final Pool B round-robin match at the 2017 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship at the USA Olympic Training Centre, Colorado Springs, Denver, Colorado, USA on Thursday night.
Both teams entered the match with 1-0 records after straight sets victories over St Lucia in their opening matches, however, despite a positive start by the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) champions, T&T, it was the defending champions Canada led by its strong service game which proved vital in the win to end with a 2-0 record while T&T ended 1-1.
Canada led in aces (10-2) as well as spike (39-23) and blocks (7-3). Trinidad & Tobago scored 15 points on Canada’s errors while committing 19.
Outside hitter Nick Hoag led Canada with 16 points on a match-high 11 spikes, a match-high four aces and one block while Opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans added 15 points, including a match-high four blocks.
Opposite Ryan Stewart, the team captain led T&T with nine points on seven spikes, one block and one ace.
With the victory, Canada’s points difference ratio of 2.055 proved better than Mexico’s (1.940) and USA (1.786) to gain one of the two automatic semifinal spots along with the Mexicans.
Nine-time tournament winners, USA, as the third best pool winner, meanwhile was due to come up against Costa Rica, second in Pool C, in one of two quarterfinals last night (Friday) after T&T, second in Pool B came up against Dominican Republic, which ended second in Pool A, behind USA.
The winners of the two main draw quarterfinals will advance to today’s semifinals where Mexico and Canada await while the two losers will contest the fifth to eighth semifinals along with the seventh to tenth semifinals winners.
The NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship is a qualification tournament into the 2018 FIVB World Championship. The top three teams in the 10-team field earn berths into the World Championship, while the top two teams in a second NORCECA qualifier held later this fall round out NORCECAÕs five vacancies into the world event.
