Team Canada has won their first game of 2024 in the Volleyball Nations League. On Thursday, Canada defeated Dominican Republic 25-20, 25-21, 25-22. Canada improved to a record of one win and one loss after losing 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 25-12 on Tuesday.
The Canadian Team was led by captain Alexa Gray of Lethbridge, Alberta who had 19 points. The only other Canadian who reached double digits in points was Kiera Van Ryk of New Westminster, British Columbia who had 18 points. Both Gray and Van Ryk are outside hitters. Middle blocker Jazmine White of Oshawa, Ontario led Canada with three block points, and setter Courtney Baker of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia led Canada with two service aces.
The Canadians had the edge over the Dominicans when it came to attack shots (43 to 37), blocks (seven to six), aces (four to one), and digs (71 to 64).
The 2024 Volleyball Nation League has added significance. That is because the top five countries in the World Ranking Qualification Pathway that have not yet have qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are booking their ticket to the Olympic Games. France has an automatic berth because they are the host nation. The Dominican Republic and Serbia qualified from a tournament in Ningbo, China. Turkey and Brazil qualified from a tournament in Tokyo, Japan. The United States and Poland qualified from a tournament in Lodz, Poland.
