Emphatic USA return to continental throne

Hosts United States (pictured in the main photo; credits: Scott Abbott / norceca.net) completed their victorious run through the 2023 NORCECA Senior Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship and topped the podium unbeaten, returning to the throne for the first time since 2017. Canada finished runners-up with silver, while Cuba completed the podium with bronze.

In front of the home crowd at the Coliseum and Convention Center in Charleson, the Americans mastered a convincing 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-22) sweep of Sunday’s final against Canada. They were led by star striker Matthew Anderson with 16 points, including two aces and two kill blocks. Thomas Jaeschke and Aaron Russell contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Stephen Maar was Canada’s most productive player on 12 points.

2023 NORCECA Senior Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship gold medallists United States (Photo credits: Scott Abbott / norceca.net)

American setter Micah Christenson’s high-level performance was rewarded with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament recognition. It was his second MVP award in the history of the NORCECA Championships, after winning it in 2017.

Having lost only two sets during their five-game winning streak in Charleston, USA added the 10th continental title to their NORCECA Championship collection, which also features 11 silver and four bronze medals.

Canada, on the other hand, collected their second consecutive and seventh overall silver. They have won the NORCECA Championship once, in 2015, and also have 14 bronze medals.

2023 NORCECA Senior Men’s Volleyball Continental Championship silver medallists Canada (Photo credits: Scott Abbott / norceca.net)

To reach the final, USA mastered a 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-14) semifinal win over Dominican Republic, while Canada produced a narrow 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 24-26, 15-13) victory over Cuba.

Cuba, the most decorated team in the history of the competition, picked up its fifth bronze after a 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-16) sweep of the third-place match against the Dominicans. Their star Miguel Angel Lopez led the way with a 16-point match high, including three aces and a kill block. The Cubans have won the NORCECA Championships as many as 16 times, most recently in 2019. Their medal collection also contains five silvers.