Canada falls to Argentina in the first match of Pan Am Cup – Volleyball News
In the opening match of Pool A at the VII Men’s Pan American Cup, Canada suffered the loss in five sets.
Canadian team was challenged Argentina that proved to be better and marched away with 3-2 (25-20, 17-25, 23-25, 25-19, 16-14) victory. The Ricardo Arias sports hall in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic provided the backdrop for the match on Monday, July 9. The loss moved Canada to 0-1 in the tournament, while Argentina celebrated its first win of the tournament.
Canada’s Dane Pischke put up a valiant effort for his team and tallied team-high 22 points. He was followed by Steve Marshall and Max Burt of Gander, who contributed 19 and 13 points in the match. Nonetheless, it proved to be failing effort for Canadian team.
Team Canada received a lot of damage from Argentina’s top gun Mariano Giustiniano, who led his team in attack. He charted match-high 26 points via 24 spikes and two service aces. Gonzalo Quiroga was equally active on the net. He helped Argentina with 20 valuable points. Furthermore, Gonzalo Lapera registered 13 points.
The bronze-medallists of the previous edition of the Pan Am Cup, Canadian team, did not catch a good start in the match. Argentineans supplied plenty of power to the ball and produced commanding serves. They kept the ball rolling and score rising until the set points at 25-20. The opening affair of the match continued for 22 minutes and eventually ended in Argentina’s favour.
Canada hit back aggressively in the following set and managed to break the rhythm of opponents. Pischke and Marshall hit unstoppable shots that nicely landed on Argentinean half. The second set quickly covered its length, while Argentina suffered the loss with a deficit of 8 points (17-25).
In the tie-breaker third set, both teams displayed incredible action on the net. The ball kept in the air for better time, while the scoring remained tight. Canadian and Argentinean hitters came into stride and battled for points. After many ups and down, Canada came on top with two-point advantage (25-23).
Head Coach Lawrence McKay’s team wanted to put an end to the match in fourth set, but Argentina would not give it so easily. The counter strike of Argentinean team in fourth set brought the game to an even point. They sent 25-19 on board and created the tie of 2-2.
The golden set of the match featured a lot of action and thrilling moments. Argentina managed to close the set 16-14 and announced match victory.
Next up, the Canadians will go against hosts Dominican Republic on Tuesday. Argentina, on the other hand, will take on Trinidad & Tobago.
Tags: