Volleyball Canada has announced their roster for week 1 of the 2018 FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League. True to their word, Canada had a full overhaul of the roster that played a pair of friendlies against Mexico last week – in fact, none of those 14 players are on the week 1 roster for the Nations League.
The roster does, however, very-closely resemble the roster that finished a program-best 3rd in last year’s World League, the predecessor tournament to the Nations League.
There are 3 new faces, however, and 1 player in a new position. 6’4″ Steven Marshall has shifted to outside hitter from his role last year as the team’s backup libero.
The 3 players not selected for week 1 by Canadian coach Stephane Antiga are last year’s captain John Gordon Perrin, outside hitter Ryley Barnes (who was on the team that played Mexico in Edmonton), and the dynamic, but currently-injured, opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans.
They’ve been replaced by Ryan Sclater and Bradley Gunter at the opposite position, and with Marshall sliding to outside hitter, Bryan Duquette joins the team as the backup libero.
In Perrin and Vernon-Evans, they lose their two most dynamic scorers from the end of last year’s World League. Perrin led the team in scoring overall (he was the captain of last year’s team), while Vernon-Evans eased his way into the starting lineup, but was a huge part of it by the end – including scoring 12 points in 3 sets in the bronze medal win over the United States.
Perrin and Barnes are both on the 21-man roster and could be available later in the tournament.
Canada begins play in pool 3 this week in Katowice and Krakow, Poland. They’ll begin play on Friday against Russia, followed by matches against South Korea and Poland on Saturday and Sunday.
Canada’s 14-Man Roster for Week 1 of the Nations League.
- Setters: TJ Sanders (Captain), Brett Walsh
- Receivers/Outside Hitters: Steven Marshall, Nicholas Hoag, Stephen Maar, Jason DeRocco
- Opposites: Ryan Sclater, Bradley Gunter
- Middle Blockers: Lucas Van Berkel, Daniel Jansen Vandoorn, Graham Vigrass, Arthur Szwarc
- Liberos: Blair Bann, Bryan Duquette
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