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Canadian women’s volleyball team beats Czechia, now must wait for possible Paris spot

Sep 24, 2023 | 11:00 AM

NINGBO, China — Canada finished its run at the Women’s Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a 3-0 win over Czechia on Sunday.

Set scores were 25-20, 25-19 and 25-21, and Kiera Van Ryk led Canada with a match-high 17 total points.

The solid win was bittersweet, as Canada finishes third out of eight teams in Pool A with the top two teams earning a berth to Paris 2024.

Canada finished at 5-2, with its losses coming against Pool A winner Dominican Republic (6-1) and runner-up Serbia (5-2).

Despite finishing with the same record, Serbia earned more points than Canada to end up second overall.

There is still a chance for Canada to go to Paris via the ranking system, but that won’t be decided until June.

“It’s nice to finish on a high versus Czechia and take out a 3-0 win to get maximum points for the match,” said head coach Shannon Winzer. “I am proud of this team, it’s an honour to be a part of this journey. 

“We have taken another step forward this summer and finished with a record of 5-2 in a very tough pool. It won’t be enough to book our ticket to Paris but we are in a good place to get there on points next summer.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press