NORCECA: Double Gold In Trinidad To Wrap Up Season

Maverick Hatch and Christian Redmann took home the top spot in Trinidad, while Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton chipped in the a third of their own

It was a golden weekend for Canada at the NORCECA Finals in Maracas Bay, Trinidad, as three of the four teams participating in the tournament are coming home with medals.

On the men’s side, Maverick Hatch and Christian Redmann took home their first NORCECA gold medal when they defeated Will Montgomery and James Drost of USA-B 21-16, 21-16. Hatch and Redmann defeated NORCECA’s top ranked team Ontiveros and Virgen in the semi-finals 21-17, 10-21, 15-12.

Canada’s other team, Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton fell in the semi-finals to Drost and Montgomery 19-21, 21-16, 15-6, before rebounding to defeat Ontiveros and Virgen 21-19, 17-21, 15-12 to keep them off the podium for only the third time this season, and grab the bronze.

Hatch and Redmann have one event left, as they'll be competing in the FIVB Durban Open in South Africa December 11th-15th

Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas finishing in a comfortable first place while Heather Bansley and Caleigh Whitaker narrowly missed the podium

On the women’s side, Kristina Valjas and Jamie Broder finished the season the way they started it – standing on top of the NORCECA podium.

They defeated Mexico 21-16, 21-19 in the semi-finals before taking on Heather Hughes and Lane Carico in the finals and coming home with the 22-20, 21-15 to take home the gold.

Heather Bansley and Caleigh Whitaker lost in the semi-finals to Carico and Hughes before losing another heartbreak match for the bronze medal against Mexico 21-18, 18-21, 10-12.

Both of Canada’s men and women finished in second players in overall points, the men falling behind Mexico, while the women were only 40 points short of the US.