Volleyball Canada – Canada’s men’s sitting volleyball team defeated Costa Rica 3-0 (25-4, 25-16, 25-12) to earn bronze today at the 2017 ParaVolley Pan American Zone Sitting Volleyball Championships.
 
Brazil topped the United States men’s team 3-1 to win gold – both the gold and silver teams earn a 2018 World Championship berth. The third and fourth place teams from this tournament will hope to qualify through world ranking allocations.
 
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted in Montreal and it’s frustrating because we felt really confident coming in,” said Canadian men’s team member Austin Hinchey, who was named best server of the tournament. “This event was important to us, not only because of the world championship berth that was available, but also as an opportunity to play at home in Canada, which we haven’t had since Toronto 2015.  That being said, we made significant progress at this event and will continue pushing ourselves to get better. We appreciate all the support from the organizers in Montreal, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Volleyball Canada, and Defi Sportif this week.”
 
On the women’s side, the U.S. beat Brazil 3-0 for gold. Canada was the third team in the women’s tournament, losing their earlier round matches to both Brazil and the U.S.  
 
“Even with a small zone, such as we have in Pan Am, the style and quality of play continues to increase in tactics and techniques,” explains Ian Halliday, Canada’s sitting Volleyball Canada’s high performance director. “Athletes are getting bigger and stronger and more technically sound. It’s exciting to see.”

This event was hosted by Défi sportif AlterGo at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.
 
Teams from the Pan American region were competing for spots at the 2018 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands.

The women’s tournament featured USA, Brazil and Canada.  With only three teams in the event – and the USA already qualified for the World Championships as the Paralympic Games champion – both Brazil and Canada will also qualify for the 2018 World Championships.

#2017pvpachamps 
Photo: Défi sportif AlterGo

#2017pvpachamps

Web cast
The weekend games were streamed on RDS.ca
 
MEN
1          Jesse Ward, Calgary, AB     
2          Mikael Bartholdy, Calgary, AB          
3          Austin Hinchey, Edmonton, AB
7          Douglas Learoyd, Calgary, AB          
8          Massoud Khanmohammad, Richmond Hill, ON
9          Andrew Tucker, Toronto, ON
10         Christopher Bird, Nanaimo, BC
12         Jamoi Anderson, Brampton, ON
13         Dariusz Symonowicz, Toronto, ON    
14         Raymond Gauthier, Edmonton, AB    
20         Jesse Buckingham, Toronto, ON       
RS        Adam Knox, Edmonton, AB
 
Head coach                 Jeff Smith, Grande Prairie, AB
Assistant coach           Krystle Bush, Grande Prairie, AB
Physiotherapist              Caitlin Baker, Grande Prairie, AB
Physiotherapist              Yung Yung Wong, Edmonton, AB
Sport Psychologist         Matt Bain, Grande Prairie, AB
 
WOMEN
1          Tessa Popoff, Langley, BC
2          Julie Kozun, Saskatoon, SK
3          Danielle Ellis, Langley, BC    
5          Chantal Beauchesne, St. Isidore, ON
6          Angelena Dolezar, Edmonton, AB   
7          Anne Fergusson, Carleton Place, ON
8          Jolan Wong, Pembroke, ON    
9          Sarah Melenka, Vegreville, AB 
10         Jennifer Oakes, Calgary, AB
11         Heidi Peters, Neerlandia, AB
12         Amber Skyrpan, Plamondon, AB 
14         Katelyn Wright, Edmonton, AB
15         Felicia Voss-Shafiq, Burnaby, BC       
17         Leaha Severson, Leduc, AB
 
Head coach                Nicole Ban, Edmonton, AB
Assistant coach            Christine Smyth, Edmonton, AB
Physiotherapist              Lauren Demers, Edmonton, AB
Physiotherapist              Yung Yung Wong, Edmonton, AB
Sport Psychologist         Erin Brennan, Edmonton, AB 

Volleyball Canada media contact:
Jackie Skender
E-mail: jskender@volleyball.ca
Phone: 613.794.7676