July 31, 2025: After a rollercoaster of a match, Canada secured its spot in the semifinals of the U23 Women’s Pan American Cup, defeating the Dominican Republic 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 12-25, 25-21,15-9) last night in León, Guanajuato, Mexico.

“The theme for this group so far at this U23 competition has been to completely dive into the opportunity, to go for it and then live with the results,” said Canada’s head coach Matt Krueger.

"This competition has been a big learning experience for us. We’ve played well and learned some lessons. I’m most proud of how this group has bounced back from those lessons."

The match last night was marked by long rallies and back-and-forth lead changes

Said Krueger: “The strength of our team is that we don’t rely on one person, one through 12 we all play a role, which is important. This match was a great example of that. I’m beyond proud, they are working hard, staying focused and battling…. That’s all I can ask for as a coach!”

Despite conceding 45 points due to errors, Canada dominated 64-44 in attack points and led 7-6 in blocks. The Dominican Republic held the advantage in aces 5-3 and committed 22 unforced errors.

Outside hitter Raya Surinx (Winnipeg, MB) was the top scorer of the match with 23 points, while Madyson Saris (Burlington, ON) and middle blocker Jessica Andrews (Guelph, ON) each added 13 points for Canada. For the Dominican Republic, Alondra Tapia finished with 19 points and Katielle Alonzo with 18.

Canada plays CUBA in today’s semifinal at 18:00 local time (CST). The Dominican Republic will compete for positions five to eight.

Streaming can be found on Facebook. 

Info: www.norceca.net.

Volleyball Canada Media Contact:
Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676