Canada’s women’s volleyball team keeps Olympic dream alive with win over France

By The Canadian Press on June 14, 2024.

FUKUOKA, Japan – Canada’s women’s volleyball team kept its faint dream of securing a berth at the Paris Olympics alive with a 3-0 win over France in Volleyball Nations League play Saturday.

The Canadians were dominant in the first two sets, winning 25-14 and 25-18 before France rallied in the third, forcing Canada to grind out a 31-29 win.

Kiera Van Ryk of Surrey, B.C., was a force for Canada, putting up a game-high 26 points, including 13 in the third set.

Halimatou Bah led France with 14 points.

The No. 10 Canadians now sit 18.11 points back of the eighth-ranked Netherlands in world standings with the Dutch set to face South Korea in their final game of the Paris Olympics qualification window later on Saturday.

Canada, which has not qualified for the Olympics since 1996, needs the Koreans to post a 3-0 victory over the Dutch to have any chance of moving on.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2024.