The Canadian men's volleyball team topped Puerto Rico in its opening game at the NORCECA Pan American Cup Final Six tournament in Edmonton on Tuesday.
The young Canadian squad — comprised of Volleyball Canada NextGen Program players and athletes that played on Canada's 11th-place team at the U21 world championship in Bahrain in July — got off to a quick start but were tested by Puerto Rico during a 3-1 win (25-15, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20).
Team captain Isaac Heslinga of Orangeville, Ont., led the way for the Canada with 23 points in the match, including the game-winning attack to secure victory in the fourth set.
The 21-year-old Heslinga was named the MVP of the 2023 Pan-American Volleyball Cup tournament in August after helping lead Canada to a gold medal in Mexico Heslinga helped Canada get off to a great start in a comfortable first set victory, leading his team with six points, including one of Canada's four aces in the set.