Canada to play Cuba for 2028 Olympic berth in men's volleyball | CBC Sports

13th-ranked Canadians post 3-set sweep over No. 23 Mexico in Moncton, N.B.

Canada is inching closer to a 2028 Olympic berth in men’s indoor volleyball.

The world’s 13th-ranked team can secure its spot for Los Angeles on Saturday with a victory over No. 16 Cuba in the NORCECA qualification final at 6 p.m. ET in Moncton, N.B.

For the second time this week, Canada’s 14-member outfit swept Mexico 3-0 in sets, by scores of 25-21, 25-18, 25-13 in the first of Friday's semifinals.

The Canadians, fresh off Wednesday's five-set defeat to the United States in the gold-medal match of the NORCECA Continental Championship, also in Moncton, outscored Mexico in attack points (42-31), blocks (8-0) and aces (8-2) at Avenir Centre.

"This was the last step before our final goal," Canada head coach Dan Lewis told Volleyball Canada. "[Our players have] executed everything they’ve needed to do up until this point. Now they need to rest and prepare for the final."

On Tuesday in Moncton, Canada swept Cuba in the continental semifinals to clinch its spot at the World Cup in Poland next Sept. 10-26.

The Canadians boasted the top four scorers in Friday's match, led by captain Eric Loeppky, who was named best spiker at the continental championship. The 28-year-old outside hitter from Winnipeg had 17 points, followed by Sharone Vernon-Evans (13) and Jackson Howe and Stephen Maar (10 each).

Fynn McCarthy of Kelowna, B.C., added seven points, following up his best server award with a match-high four aces.

Canadian player Xander Ketrzynski reminded he and his teammates need only to stick to what got them to the final.

“Just keep playing like ourselves. It’s just another volleyball game," the 26-year-old Toronto native said. "Sometimes at these big moments you can get a little bit ahead of yourself but at the end of the day, you got here for a reason, you’ve got to keep performing that way.”

Mauro Fuentes Rascón and Diego González, the top scorer in the continental championship, shared the scoring lead for Mexico with eight. Jesus Izaguirre contributed nine digs.