Canada loses tight match to Americans at men's volleyball World Cup
Fall just short of upset in taking No. 2-ranked U.S. to 5 sets
The Canadian men's volleyball team fell just short of an upset at the World Cup, falling 3-2 (21-25, 25-11, 20-25, 25-19, 15-13) to the United States on Friday in Hiroshima, Japan.
The Americans, ranked second in the world, are third in the World Cup standings at 6-2. The sixth-ranked Canadians dropped to 3-5 and are tied for eighth at the 12-team event. Canada faces Italy (4-4) on Saturday.
"A disappointing loss. Whenever you have a chance to beat the U.S., it's a great opportunity," said Canada coach Dan Lewis.
WATCH | Canada drops 5-setter to U.S.:
"They served really well, and in a couple of sets we were broken open after that. But we really needed to rebound after the match with Argentina as a group, and we did tonight. I was really proud of the guys . It's very difficult to get wins in this tournament with the best teams in the world and the number of matches, as well we've suffered some injuries, but the guys are sticking together and rallying each night."
Canada captain Nick Hoag of Sherbrooke, Ont., led Canada with 18 points. Daniel Jansen Vandoorn of Langley, B.C., added 16.The World Cup is played in a round-robin format. Canada finished seventh the last time it was held in 2015.