Volleyball Canada has broken camp in Richmond, BC and head coach Marcello Abbondanza has assigned 24 players to its 2017 National Team roster. Of those 24, smaller squads will be selected for each of Volleyball Canada’s major tournaments of the summer – the Pan Am Cup in Peru, the NORCECA Championship in Trinidad in October, and the ongoing FIVB World Grand Prix. The team will also be the basis of the selection for the team’s friendly with the United States in mid-June that will kick things off en route to Peru for the Pan American Cup a day later.
“With a nice mix of returning veterans and up and coming young athletes – our 2017 National Team is very promising,” said Volleyball Canada High Performance Director, Julien Boucher. “Following the largest women’s selection camp ever, our program will undoubtedly see a new beginning in its new training centre in Richmond.”
The same training centre, a converted ice arena, will play host to an opening round pool of the World Grand Prix.
Included in the expanded 2017 roster are just 5 of the 14 players who last year finished last in pool play and failed to advance to the knockout stages of the NORCECA qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games. Among those 5, only two, Charuk and Richey, were regular starters. Richey will become a new focal point of the team this summer – she had 17 kills in Canada’s 3 NORCECA qualifier matches last summer at outside hitter and showed her potential when she exploded for 11 in Canada’s match against the Dominincan Republic – their best performance.
Missing from the roster are the team’s top two opposites, Tabitha Love and Rebecca Pavan. Love was the team’s primary offensive weapon last summer.
Returning players from last year’s NORCECA Qualifying squad:
- Kyla Richey
- Marisa Field
- Jennifer Cross
- Lucille Charuk
- Megan Cyr
Athletes
Courtney Baker, Bridgewater, NS
Brianna Beamish, Surrey, BC
Marie-Alex Bélanger, Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez, QC
Danielle Brisebois, Caledon, ON
Margaret Casault, Edmonton, AB
Lucille Charuk, Vancouver, BC
Alissa Coulter, Calgary, AB
Jennifer Cross, Scarborough, ON
Megan Cyr, St. Andrews, MB
Alina Dormann, Ottawa, ON
Anna Feore, Stratford, ON
Marisa Field, Kelowna, BC
Alexa Gray, Calgary, AB
Shae Harris, North Vancouver, BC
Shainah Joseph, Ottawa, ON
Aidan Lea, Kelowna, BC
Kristen Moncks, Standard, AB
Alicia Ogoms, Winnipeg, MB
Alicia Perrin, Creston, BC
Michaela Reesor, Caledon, ON
Kyla Richey, Roberts Creek, BC
Danielle Smith, Kelowna, BC/Beaverlodge, AB
Layne Van Buskirk, Windsor, ON
Elizabeth Wendel, Caronport, SK
Reserves
Sarah Chase, Campbell River, BC
Nikki Cornwall, Coquitlam, BC
Alison McKay, Port Moody, BC
Staff:
Head coach: Marcello Abbondanza
Assistant coaches: Vincenzo Mallia, Daniele Alpi and Gina Schmidt
Statistician: Darrin Moreira
Head Athletic Therapist: Morgan Sangster
Team Manager: Chrissy Benz
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