Volleyball News: A new era has begun for Canada’s Men’s National Team after beating Cuba in a tiebreaker on their debut in the 2023 Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
In a game that took place on Tuesday (06/06), Canada won its first official game under new head coach Tuomas Sammelvuo.
Supported by the thousands of local fans who filled TD Place in Ottawa, creating a fantastic atmosphere, Canada won in five sets (25-21, 26-28, 25-21, 22-25, 15 -13) a great result for starting their VNL 2023 season on the right foot.
The game was the team’s first official meeting with Sammelvuo, who was signed at the end of the 2022 season. The former Finn coached the team in two friendlies against Brazil last week, when he led his team to wins and losses against strong teams.
Ryan Sclater was a key part of Team North America’s victory, leading the team offense with 27 points (22 kills, one ace, four blocks). The 29-year-old also scored the winning point in the tiebreaker.
“We want that fighting spirit to be part of our identity,” Sclater said as quoted by volleyballworld.
“We always want to keep fighting through the ups and downs of any game, so it’s great to see. It’s great to see a team that loves ‘fighting’ that loves ‘fighting’ “Playing at home this week has been great. It’s going to be a great week.”
Article Tags: VNL 2023, Canada, Cuba
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