The national women's volleyball team is almost in a must-win situation to have any hope of making the playoffs after dropping its second straight match at the Pan Am Cup in Rosarito, Mexico late Saturday.

Cuba, ranked No. 6 in the world, defeated Team Canada (No. 24) 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19)

Saskatchewan's Tonya Mokelki led Canada with 16 points while Ontario's Sarah Pavan had 15. Manitoba's Tammy Mahon, the team captain, chipped in with 11.

"We came out very well in the first set, then struggled with the same elements as we did in Friday’s match,” Mahon said in a release, referring to Friday's loss to Argentina. “But we fought hard and never got down throughout the match and, if we keep that approach, we’re going to be OK. We’ve got plenty of talent to quickly turn this around.”

After taking Sunday off, Canada plays winless Brazil on Monday and the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

The top three teams in each of two pools advance to the playoffs, which start Thursday.

“The day off is going to give us a chance to rest and also see how we can match up best against Brazil,” said Mahon. “We just need to keep focused on our side of the court and continue to get a strong contribution from all 12 players.”

This is Canada’s first tournament in 2010 as the squad is ultimately preparing for the world championships in Japan this fall.