Team Canada is back at the .500 mark in Olympic men’s volleyball. In Pool A action on Thursday in Canada (Friday morning in Japan), the Canadian team pounded Venezuela 25-13, 25-22, 25-12. With the win, Canada has a record of two wins and two losses.
Nicholas Hoag of Sherbrooke, Quebec led Team Canada in scoring with 16 points. Stephen Maar of Aurora, Ontario was the only other Canadian player to reach double-digits as he had 15 points. Hoag led Team Canada with three aces, while Lucas van Berkel of Edmonton, Alberta led Canada with four points off of blocks.
This was a significant win for the Canadians, as Venezuela has not had a victory as of yet. Still, Canada has a lot of work to do to reach the quarterfinals. They close out Pool A with a game against Poland, who currently leads the group with a record of three wins and one loss.
A win against Poland may not be a requirement to reach the quarterfinals. They still have a chance if Japan beats Iran in four sets or less.
Team Canada reached the quarterfinals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. However, they were beaten in that contest in straight sets to Russia, 25-15, 25-20, 25-18. In Pool A play five years ago, Canada’s victories were a straight-set win over the United States, followed by impressive wins over Mexico and Italy.
