Team Canada, represented by Langley’s Trinity Western University Spartans volleyball team, won their fourth match in a row at the Pan-American Cup in Monday’s 3-1 victory over the Dominican Republic.
After dropping the first set to the Dominican Republic, Canada roared back to sweep the remaining sets.
Langley’s Brodie Hofer and teammate Jesse Elser from Calgary played a strong game on the attacking end, earning game-highs in scoring with 21 and 17 points for Canada.
Jackson Howe (Calgary) and Jordan Schnitzer (Surrey, B.C.) chipped in with three blocks each en route to Canada’s victory.
MVB I @VballCanada, represented by @TrinityWestern, improved to 4-0 at the Pan-American Cup with another 4-set win against the Dominican Republic!#MapleSpartans x #TWUVolleyball https://t.co/UDSElTAmqA
— TWU Spartans (@TWUSpartans) September 7, 2021
With 11 points earned on serves, the Spartans were able to consistently force the Dominicans into tough spots. All seven starters contributed to outscore the Dominican Republic in every stat category to cap off another dominant showing for Canada. Most notably, the Canadians dominated offensively, earning 50 kills to the Dominican Republic’s 30.
Canada Head Coach Ben Josephson called it “an entertaining match.”
“We made a lot of errors in the first set, most likely due to the intimidating nature of the game and opposition. The Dominican Republic didn’t give us any openings as we tried to match their physicality. They were bigger than us, so we needed to adapt with smarts, speed, and skill to find our points.
“Brodie Hofer had a massive kill to close the second set. After that, our servers went on big runs, our passing was strong, and our sets were crisp. We got on a big run after that.”
“Our team really impressed me today. We stepped up to the plate under pressure, learning from our mistakes along the way, and came through in a big way. “
READ ALSO: TWU’s Team Canada opens Pan-Am Cup with win
READ ALSO: Canada wins second straight at Pan-American Cup
Canada is undefeated, owning a 4-0 record heading into their final round-robin match.
Spartans have now earned wins over Suriname, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic with their final round-robin match to be played against the USA late today, Tuesday, Sept. 7.
And @VBallCanada remains undefeated at NORCECA Men Pan-American Cup Final Six after a 3-1 win over host country Dominican Republic ( 20-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-16). pic.twitter.com/K8fM4q31Rx
— NorcecaInfo (@Norceca_Info) September 7, 2021
As the defending Canada West and U SPORTS champions, TWU was asked to represent Canada at this year’s Pan-American Cup.
After the tournament, the Spartans men’s volleyball team will return to Langley to begin their local preseason games in preparation for their season opener on Nov. 5.
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