Gavin Schmitt was the clear winner of the Battle of the Beasts as he scored 22 points and hit over a 50% efficiency on route to Canada's 3-2 win over Bulgaria on Wednesday morning.
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We speak with Canadian Men's Volleyball setter Dustin Schneider about playing this past season in Poland and his expectations for Canada at the FIVB World Championships NORCECA Qualifier this weekend in Mississauga.
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Glenn Hoag talks to an assistant during a match against Brazil (Photos: Marcelo Rizzo)
After a five-year absence, Team Canada made their return to the World League in 2012. The Canadians finished 12th among 16 squads, playing in the same pool of world number-one Brazil and eventual champion Poland. In the battle for the third place in the pool with Finland, the Canucks were successful despite the Finns being a more experienced team. Canada will play in the 2013 World League, an annual tournament that is essential for the team preparation towards Rio Olympics in 2016.
Kill on Two interviewed head coach Glenn Hoag, the man that has been training the Canadian men’s team since 2006. Hoag, who is also behind the success of the Turkish club Arkas Izmir, has a contract with Volleyball Canada until 2016. He points some positive aspects on Team Canada at the World League, although they had too many ups and downs. Hoag admits they need to do better: “Right now we have too many technical flaws. This is what we will work on.” Check out Glenn Hoag’s interview:
Kill on Two - How do you evaluate Canada’s performance at the World League?
Glenn Hoag - I would say we were good at the beginning and on the last weekend. This was really good for us as we got to assess the team with 12 good international matches. This will be useful as a base for the next cycle.
KO2 - Was any tactical change made for the final leg in Finland?
Hoag - Ciaran McGovern (setter) brought some stability to our offence after we lost Dustin (Schneider) and Josh (Howatson) to injuries. Young Blair Bann did a great job on the libero position. Overall, on the last leg we just found the patience that characterizes our game. We had lost this after Toronto.
More after the jump.
Brazil and Poland will clash on the opening day of the World League in Toronto this Friday. These two powerhouses play Canada on Saturday and Sunday respectively (Photo: FIVB)
Volleyball fans all over the world will keep an eye on Canada this coming weekend as Toronto will be one of the four cities to host the first stop of 2012 FIVB World League at RicoH Coliseum. Team Canada returns to the WL after a five-year absence. The Canadians start their journey on Friday, 4:00 p.m. EST against an efficient team from Finland. Rogers Sportsnet One will broadcast Canada-Finland on tape delay at 11:00 p.m. EST.
On Saturday at 4:00 p.m. EST Canada takes on Brazil, number one on FIVB rank and nine time World League champions. The match will be broadcast live on CBC. Finally on Sunday at 8:00 p. m. EST, the Canucks play Poland (ranked 4th in the world) carried live on Rogers Sportsnet One. Sixteen squads take part on WL split in four groups. This year, each participant hosts a weekend where they play in a round-robin format. The finals will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria, July 4-8 with six teams made up of the: Host, the four pool winners and the best second place.
A preview of Canada, Brazil, Poland and Finland after the jump.
Team Canada before a match at the 2010 worlds in Italy (Photo: FIVB)
Time has come for the Canadian men’s volleyball team to fight for a berth at this year's Olympics. Eight teams will vie for a spot in London Games at the Norceca Olympic qualification tournament starting Monday May 7th in Long Beach, California. The teams competing are: Canada, USA, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, and Dominican Republic. Team Canada is in pool B with the Cubans, Ricans, and Dominicans. Last time Canada's men’s volleyball team participated at the Games was in Barcelona 1992, placing 10th.
“USA and Cuba are the obvious favorites for this qualifier, but Puerto Rico and Mexico will also have their best players. We are prepared and will approach each match with great care. This is a very important tournament for us since it will be our only chance to reach the Olympic dream” head coach Glenn Hoag said. Only the winner in Long Beach qualifies for the London Olympics.