Saskatoon’s Schmitt returns to Canadian volleyball team
Gavin Schmitt doesn’t want his return to the Canadian men’s volleyball team to mess with its success.
The 6-foot-10 outside hitter from Saskatoon, whose crushing kills and laser jump serves are feared internationally, retired after the 2016 Summer Olympics to preserve his beat-up body for his livelihood, which is the pro leagues.
But Canada has the need, and Schmitt the health and time, for him to play for the national team in Nations League that started Friday in Ottawa.
Ranked sixth in the world, Canada opens against No. 16 Australia followed by No. 10 Germany on Saturday and No. 2 United States on Sunday. Nations League, formerly World League, is an annual six-week tournament featuring the world’s top 16 teams.
Prize money that includes US$1 million to the winner and the chance to move up the world rankings are the stakes. Canada beat the U.S. to win its first medal — a bronze — in the marathon tournament in 2017.
Canada is 4-2 in Nations League this year and riding a three-match win streak into Ottawa.
Schmitt, 32, hasn’t played for Canada since a straight-sets quarter-final loss to Russia at the Olympic Games in Rio. He’s pragmatic about what he’ll contribute in Ottawa.
“They’re in a good place right now and I don’t want to derail anything,” Schmitt told The Canadian Press from Ottawa.
“I had my first practice with the A team yesterday. My goal is to try to come and get integrated with the guys and offer whatever it is I’m at a level to offer.”
Canada has some injuries and Schmitt’s pro team — Japan’s Toray Arrows — was done its season in March. He hasn’t played since then because of ankle surgery and subsequent recovery.
When Schmitt retired from the Canadian team, he left the door open for a return should his body and time allow. He’d had surgery on his legs for stress fractures in both 2013 and 2016.
“I always kind of thought he would be back,” Canadian middle blocker Graham Vigrass said. “His plan was to continue playing pro and I knew if his body felt good enough that he would be back with the national team.”
Canadian head coach Stephane Antiga said it was too soon to say how much Schmitt might play in Ottawa after just one practice.
“He will be helpful and pretty soon I’m sure he’ll reach his best level,” Antiga said. “He’s serving very well and spiking high and strong.”
Whether Schmitt continues playing in Nations League, and plays in September’s world championship, remains to be seen.
“We have somewhat of a plan kind of worked out for the summer, which is fairly tentative,” he said. “I think a lot of it will depend on my performance.”
The men’s volleyball training centre in Gatineau, Que., established in 2009 by former head coach Glenn Hoag, has been key to Canada sustaining its place among the world’s top teams after finishing fifth in Rio.
That was Canada’s best result since placing fourth at the boycotted 1984 Summer Games. It was also the first time in a quarter-century the Canadian men qualified for the Olympics.
Hoag stepped down as head coach after Rio, but continued as a Volleyball Canada consultant. Former French national team player Antiga took over the Canadian bench.
The training centre bridges the gap between university and international play, and helps Canadians get jobs in premier professional leagues around the world, which in turn strengthens the national team.
It also allows Canada to have both a junior and ‘B’ men’s squad to deepen the player pool.
“Now, players that are leaving university are either going to the (centre) or going to the higherlevel professional teams,” Vigrasssaid.