Team Canada has improved to a record of two wins and one loss in 2024 Volleyball Women’s Nations League in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On Friday, Canada beat China 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22. The win was extremely significant as Canada and China are vying for five available spots for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and China sent their best team to South America this weekend.
Two Canadians reached double digits in points. Outside hitters Kiera Van Ryk of New Westminster, British Columbia and Alexa Gray of Lethbridge, Alberta led Canada in scoring. Van Ryk had 27 points, and Gray had 21 points. Of Van Ryk’s 27 points, 25 points were on the attack, and there were two service aces. Gray had 19 attack points and two service aces.
Middle blocker Jazmine White also had an impact game as she led Canada with three block points and three aces.
China meanwhile has a rich history when it comes to women’s volleyball. They are three-time Olympic gold medalists. They placed on top of the podium at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
This is the third time Canada has beaten China in women’s volleyball. Canada first beat China 25-22, 21-25, 25-17, 15-25, 15-12 in Nations League action in Rimini, Italy on June 1, 2021. Canada then beat China 28-26, 15-25, 25-23, 22-25, 17-15 in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Ningbo, China on September 20, 2023.
