Canadian men’s volleyball team ready to crush it in Paris – Team Canada

Twelve Canadian men’s volleyball players are ready to show the world what they’re made of at Paris 2024.

Team Canada earned a spot in a third consecutive Olympic tournament by finishing second in its pool at the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament, held in Xi’an, China, in October 2023.

The Canadians enter the Olympics ranked ninth in the FIVB men’s volleyball world rankings. They have recently had success in the Volleyball Nations League, proving to be strong competitors. In the tournament that ran from late May to late June, the team finished the three-week preliminary phase in fifth place, advancing to the quarterfinals where they were eliminated by Japan, who finished second overall.

Team Canada is led by captain Nick Hoag. Paris 2024 will mark Hoag’s third Olympic appearance, having made his debut at Rio 2016 as the youngest member of the men’s volleyball team.

“It’s always a great experience and every time it feels like it’s new,” Hoag said. “We also have a very different team than the last two Olympics. Not only because of the retirement of a few players, but also because volleyball has evolved a lot. This is the highest level of volleyball in the world, so it will be interesting to see how we perform outside of the recent Volleyball Nations League competition. It’s also very exciting to see all these new players come into such a big tournament and perform at such a high level. As in the previous two Games, our goal is nothing less than a medal.”

Stephen Maar, Arthur Szwarc and Lucas Van Berkel will also return after being part of the Tokyo 2020 team. Maar finished third overall in the 2024 Volleyball Nations League. Eight athletes will make their Olympic debut: Luke Herr, Brodie Hofer, Xander Ketrzynski, Eric Loeppky, Justin Lui, Fynn McCarthy, Brett Walsh and Danny Demyanenko.

“I am extremely honoured and excited to have the opportunity to represent Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I am very proud of what our team has been able to accomplish. The group we have is truly remarkable and we hope to bring it to life in Paris,” said Demyanenko. “Personally, this is a lifelong dream that has sustained me through many ups and downs. Now, by finally representing Canada on the biggest stage, I hope to make Canada proud and inspire others to follow their dreams and overcome the obstacles that come their way.”

The Canadian team has reached the quarterfinals at the last two Olympic Games. Canada has competed in five Olympic men’s volleyball tournaments, with its best finish being a fourth-place finish in Los Angeles in 1984. Hoag and Ketryznski’s fathers, Glenn and Alex, were both members of the Canadian Olympic team in 1984.

Canada will play in Pool A of the Paris 2024 Olympic tournament, alongside host and defending champion France, as well as Slovenia and Serbia. The indoor volleyball competition will begin on July 27 and will take place at the South Paris Arena 1.

Canadian men’s volleyball players for Paris 2024

Danny Demyanenko (Toronto, Ont.)

Luc Herr (Winnipeg, Man.)

Nick Hoag (Sherbrooke, Qc)

Brodie Hofer (Langley, BC)

Xander Ketrzynski (Toronto, Ont.)

Eric Loeppky (Steinbach, Man.)

Justin Lui (Pickering, Ont.)

Stephen Maar (Aurora, Ont.)

Fynn McCarthy (Lake Country, British Columbia)

Arthur Szwarc (Toronto, Ont.)

Lucas Van Berkel (Edmonton, Alta.)

Brett Walsh (Calgary, Alta.)