Canada’s ladies’s sitting volleyball group is headed again to the Paralympics.
The world No. 2 squad topped Germany 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-23) within the semifinals of the World Cup on Friday in Cairo.
The victory secured the lone Paralympic berth up for grabs on the match for Canada, which can face China in Saturday’s closing at 11 a.m. ET.
China and its semifinal opponent Brazil have been already certified for Paris 2024, leaving Canada’s match as a straight-up Paralympic qualifier.
<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Certified?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#Certified</a> 🇨🇦 wins its semi over Germany & earns a Paris 2024 Paralympic spot as the best ranked group not but certified! 💪<br><br>Le Canada remporte sa demi-finale contre l’Allemagne. Le Canada obtient une place paralympique en tant qu’équipe la mieux classée non encore qualifiée! <a href=”https://t.co/npC5BjWJj6″>pic.twitter.com/npC5BjWJj6</a>
—@VBallCanada
The Canadians took full benefit. Now, they’ll have a chance to finish their ascendancy to the highest of the rostrum.
“We labored so exhausting to get to this recreation and we fought for each level on the market on court docket immediately. I’m so happy with each athlete and employees member on this group,” mentioned group captain Danielle Ellis.
Canada’s ladies’s sitting volleyball group first certified for the Paralympics in 2016, putting seventh. It returned for the Tokyo Video games in 2021, lacking out on a medal with a fourth-place end. Canada lastly reached the rostrum ultimately 12 months’s world championship, the place it secured silver.
Now, it’ll go for gold.
“Fourth wasn’t fairly sufficient in Tokyo. And so I feel each single particular person on this group desires it so dangerous, and that’s what’s actually made us higher,” Ellis instructed CBC Sports activities forward of the World Cup.
Head coach Nicole Ban mentioned she “couldn’t be extra proud” of her group.
“We’ve been speaking about this second since world championships one 12 months in the past. We’ve been targeted on the method, on believing on this group, and trusting one another regardless of adversity. We achieved our aim of qualifying and now we have yet another recreation that lies forward,” Ban mentioned.
France, Italy and top-ranked United States have additionally certified for the Paralympics in Paris subsequent summer time, with two extra spots up for grabs after the World Cup.
These shall be decided on the 2023 ParaVolley Africa Championships (date to be decided) and one other qualifying tourney in April in Dali, China.
Canada roster
- Julie Kozun (Melfort, Sask.)
- Danielle Ellis (White Rock, B.C.)
- Jennifer Oakes (Calgary)
- Angelena Dolezar (St. Albert, Alta.)
- Anne Fergusson (Carleton Place, Ont.)
- Jolan Wong (Vermilion, Alta.)
- Sarah Melenka (Vegreville, Alta.)
- Jayme Lepp (Vancouver)
- Heidi Peters (Neerlandia, Alta.)
- Katelyn Wright (Edmonton)
- Felicia Voss-Shafiq (Burnaby, B.C.)
- Jennifer McCreesh (Smithers, B.C.)
- Allison Lang (Edmonton)