Stage set for v-ball grudge match
Visiting U.S. team out to settle score with Canadian rivals over upset in Rio
It’s doesn’t matter the sport, there’s always something special about Canada vs. the United States, and often there’s a defining moment that takes the rivalry to the next level.
In men’s volleyball, the rivalry was cemented for the foreseeable future when Canada shocked the American side in the opening round of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Canadians arrived in Brazil ranked 12th in the world, while the Americans were on a high coming off a gold medal win at the World Cup and entered the Olympic Games ranked fifth.
The upstart Canadians took the court that day (Aug. 7) and proceeded to take out the Americans in straight sets by scores of 25-23, 25-17 and 25-23. While the Americans would go on to win the bronze medal, a rivalry was born. Incidentally, Canada finished fifth in Rio.
No less than six members of that Canadian squad will face eight members of the 2016 American team along with head coach John Speraw, when the two nations meet Sunday afternoon in The Arena at TD Place in the featured finale of the three-day Volleyball Nations League event.
The memories run long on both sides.
“My perspective of Canadian volleyball was that they have always been very good,” Speraw said Friday night after dropping an opening round match to Germany in straight sets. “So I really wasn’t that surprised by what happened in Rio. We knew Canada was playing for that moment.
“And we had the youngest team the States had ever sent to an Olympic Games. And we also had just won the World Cup.
“So were we favourites? Or were we a bunch of (Olympic) rookies? I think we were likely somewhere in between,” added Speraw.
The matchup against the U.S. marked Canada’s first appearance in Olympic men’s volleyball in 24 years.
The Canadian squad, under head coach Glenn Hoag, with son Nicholas leading on the court, was more than ready.
“The USA is our biggest competitor and we’ve had a good battle with them the last few years,” said Team Canada captain Tyler (T.J.) Sanders, a leader on the 2016 squad. “We haven’t been back in Canada in a while. We didn’t play here last year so to be back here is amazing.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in front of some Canadian fans. Hopefully they can get a little rowdy. We know that some foreign cultures are pretty loud, so we’re hoping they can bring some noise as well.”
The American head coach has a unique perspective on the rise in Canadian volleyball fortunes over the past quarter-century, a period that saw the Canadians go from competing in 1992 to not getting back to the Olympics until Rio.
As a player, he played against top-ranked Canadian University teams in the 1990s as a member of the UCLA Bruins. Since his playing days, he’s witnessed Canadian teams evolve as a university head coach and national team head coach.
And now they face each other again, just as they did last year when Canada beat the Americans out for bronze in the former World League.
“What’s interesting in volleyball is that you have so many rivals,” said Speraw. “We’ve had huge rivalries with Brazil. And then it was Italy because so many of our players played pro there. And now it seems Poland is, too.
“But Canada is up there. They ’re in our (Olympic qualification) zone so we see them often.”
I’m really looking forward to playing in front of some Canadian fans. Hopefully they can get a little rowdy.