Volleyball team looking for Olympic berth at last chance qualifier

May 25, 2016

Canada’s last chance to qualify for men’s indoor volleyball at Rio 2016 begins on Friday.

Canada, 10^th in the FIVB world rankings, will join seven other teams at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo, which takes place May 28 – June 5. The highest ranked Asian team – the tournament is also being used as the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament – and the top three teams will qualify for Rio 2016.

Australia (No. 13), China (No. 19), France (No. 10), Iran (No. 8), Japan (No. 14), Poland (No. 2) and Venezuela (No. 20) will join Canada at the tournament. The first action for the Canadians will be on Saturday when they face Poland.

Team Canada’s schedule

“All the teams at this World Qualification Tournament will be determined and focused on the goal of securing the remaining men’s volleyball Olympic berths,” said Canada’s head coach, Glenn Hoag, in a Volleyball Canada news release. “We are fully aware of the challenge that awaits us, and aim to make Canada proud of our performance at this important tournament.”

Canada just missed out on an Olympic berth earlier this year in Edmonton, falling to Cuba in the qualification tournament final. The men’s volleyball team has appeared in the Olympics three times with the last being in 1992.

Cuba’s Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre hits the ball against Canada during a decisive NORCECA Olympic qualifying match on January 10, 2016.

Olympic volleyball will take place August 6-21 at Rio’s Maracanazinho arena. Brazil, the United States, Italy, Argentina, Russia, Cuba and Egypt have already qualified for Rio 2016.

The host Brazilians have won silver in back-to-back Games and claimed gold in 2004. Russia won gold at London 2012.