Canada's Alexa Gray hits against Mexico during NORCECA senior women's volleyball continental championship action in Laval, Que., in this Tuesday, August 29, 2023 handout photo. Canada finished its run at the Women’s Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament with a 3-0 win over Czechia on Sunday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Mathieu Belanger, NORCECA *MANDATORY CREDIT*
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.
