| Volleyball in Canada | |
|---|---|
 A game of volleyball between the Albertan and the Newfoundland and Labrador teams during the 2017 Canada Games | |
| Country | Canada |
| Governing body | Volleyball Canada [1] |
| National team(s) | |
| First played | 1900 (Ottawa, Ontario) |
International competitions | |
Volleyball in Canada dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the sport is played at various levels of competition throughout the country.
Volleyball was invented in the United States in 1895 and made its first appearance in Canada in 1900 when an Ottawa branch of the YMCA included it in its schedule. [2] The sport caught on and soon spread to YMCAs in Toronto and Montreal. These centers conducted various tournaments, which were, for a long time, the only organized manifestations of the sport in Canada. While the sport spread throughout the United States, Russia and Asia before the First World War, it lay relatively dormant in Canada. With the creation of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) shortly after the Second World War, the sport gained international recognition.
Canada joined the FIVB in 1953, the same year the Canadian Volleyball Association was founded. Gordon Odell served as interim president before Wes McVicar took over as the association's first president. The current president, Dave Carey, oversees an organization of over 80,000 members. Renamed Volleyball Canada (VC), the association has its headquarters in Ottawa. When founded, VC was divided into three regions: Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. Today, the regions are drawn along provincial/territorial lines and take in the whole of Canada.
Canada's first international experience in the sport took place in 1959 at the Pan-American Games in Chicago. Today, the Canadian teams strive to qualify for all of the international tournaments for which they are eligible. Since 1976, both the Men's and Women's indoor National Teams have participated in the Olympic Games and the World Championships on several occasions. The best result for both the Men's and Women's teams was achieved at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles where they finished 4th and 8th respectively. In 1998, Volleyball Canada became the umbrella organization for the national disabled volleyball program, a program that has had continued success since this partnership. The National Men's Standing Disabled Volleyball Team brought home Volleyball Canada's first gold medal at the 2002 World Championships in Poland, and went on to defend its title in 2004.
The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) is the international governing body for the sports of volleyball in Northern America, Central America, and the Caribbean. NORCECA is the continental confederation that represents its 35 member associations at the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) level. It also has six associate members: Bonaire, Saba, Saint Martin, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The confederation is responsible for, among other things, the staging of Olympic and World Championship zone qualification tournaments, as well as continental championships for both men and women in indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. In 2022, NORCECA celebrated its fifty-fourth (54th) anniversary.
Foluke Atinuke Gunderson is an indoor volleyball player who plays as a middle blocker for Japanese club Hisamitsu Springs. Born in Canada, she represents the United States internationally. Gunderson won gold with the national team at the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix, 2014 World Championship, the Rimini Volleyball Nations League, and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, silver at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Her 2020 Olympics win allowed her to complete the trifecta of winning an Olympic bronze, silver, and gold medal.
Tara Cross-Battle is a retired volleyball player from the United States who competed in four Summer Olympics overall, starting in 1992. Cross-Battle won the bronze medal with the United States women's national team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Her last Olympic appearance was at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Lindsey Napela Berg is an American retired volleyball player who last played for Fenerbahçe Istanbul in Turkey. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and played volleyball for the University of Minnesota. She played in three Olympic Games for the United States national team, winning two silver medals.
Nancy Jean Metcalf is an American indoor volleyball player. She represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where she finished in fifth place with the USA National Team. She missed the 2008 Olympics with a torn labrum, and was not named to the national team in 2012.
The Canada men's national volleyball team represents Canada in international volleyball competitions. They are overseen by Volleyball Canada, the governing body for volleyball in Canada.
Brenda Castillo is a volleyball player from the Dominican Republic and plays as a libero. She was a member of the Dominican Republic national team that won fifth place in the 2012 Summer Olympics, while she was named the tournament's Best Libero. She played in the 2014 World Championship reaching also the fifth place and ranking 17th in the 2010 World Championship and the 2011 FIVB World Cup where her national team ranked eight and the 2015 FIVB World Cup, winning the Best Libero individual award and ranking in seventh place.
Niverka Dharlenis Marte Frica is a volleyball player from the Dominican Republic who currently plays for Indonesian side Jakarta Popsivo Polwan. She played the 2012 Summer Olympics with the Dominican Republic national team ranking in fifth place. She also played the 2010 and the 2014 World Championship earning the 17th place and the fifth place and the 2011 and the 2015 FIVB World Cup with her national team ranking in the eight and seventh place. She won the bronze medal in the 2015 Pan American Games.
Gina Altagracia Mambrú Casilla is a volleyball player from the Dominican Republic, who played the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2014 World Championship ranking fifth in both competitions. She won the gold medal at the 2010 and 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games and bronze at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Jordan Quinn Larson is an American volleyball player and a three-time Olympic medalist. Larson won gold with the national team at the 2014 World Championship, the Rimini Volleyball Nations League, and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, silver at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Her 2020 gold medal meant that she had completed the rare trifecta of winning Olympic bronze, silver, and gold medals.
Samantha Bricio is a Mexican volleyball professional player, the youngest player to play for the Mexico national team in its history. Bricio played in the 2009 FIVB Girls Youth World Championship and again in 2011, finishing twelfth. She received the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games Best Scorer and Best Server awards and the Best Scorer award in the 2011 Youth Pan-American Cup, 2011 Junior Pan-American Cup and the 2013 Pan-American Cup.
Vivian Isabel Baella Guevara is a Peruvian indoor volleyball and beach volleyball player who plays for the Peru national team. Vivian gained fame after her performance in the 2008 Youth South American Volleyball Championship.
Kelly Ann Murphy is an American indoor volleyball player for the United States women's national volleyball team. Murphy played collegiate volleyball with the University of Florida Gators from 2008 to 2011. Murphy won gold with the national team at the 2014 World Championship and bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Taylor Mackenzie Wilson is a Canadian professional volleyball player. She has won seven Canadian national titles, including the women's volleyball championship in 2014.
Brayelin Elizabeth Martínez is a Dominican volleyball player who won the bronze medal in the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the Dominican Republic national team. She played in the 2014 Senior World Championship and the 2011 and 2015 FIVB World Cup.
Tyler James "TJ" Sanders is a Canadian male volleyball player. He is a member of the Canada men's national volleyball team, a participant in the 2016 Summer Olympics, a gold medallist at the 2015 NORCECA Championship, and a bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games. Bronze medalist at the 2017 World League where he ranked statistically as the top setter. He won the Polish cup with Trefl Gdansk. He has been sidelined by a back injury, but has helped the Canadian team qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Rudy Verhoeff is a Canadian male volleyball player. He is a member of the Canada men's national volleyball team and Swiss club Volley Amriswil, a participant in the 2016 Summer Olympics, a gold and silver medalist at the NORCECA Men's Volleyball Championship in 2015 and 2013, and a bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Graham Saxton Vigrass is a Canadian professional volleyball player. He was a member of the Canadian men's national volleyball team, a participant at two Olympic Games, and a bronze medallist at the 2017 World League.
Steven James Douglas Marshall is a Canadian male volleyball player. He is a member of the Canada men's national volleyball team and German club Berlin Volleys. Steven was also a participant in the 2016 Summer Olympics, the 2020 Summer Olympics, a gold medallist at the NORCECA Men's Volleyball Championship in 2015, and a bronze medallist at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Jineiry Martínez is a Dominican volleyball player who played the 2015 FIVB World Cup with the Dominican Republic national team. She won the bronze medal in the 2015 Pan American Games. With her under ages national teams, she won the gold medal in the 2015 FIVB U20 World Championship, silver in the 2013 FIVB U23 World Championship and bronze in the 2015 FIVB U23 World Championship.
