Canada’s coaching staff from last year’s World Grand Prix, including head coach Marcello Abbondanza, right. Courtesy: FIVB
It’s almost time to kick off the Team Canada indoor volleyball season for both the men’s and women’s programs, and Volleyball Canada is pleased to announce the staff overseeing the teams during this exciting time of year.
“The pro athletes are starting to return from their clubs and most of them will be resuming training as of May 1, which puts us into the final stage of preparation for the season,” said Julien Boucher, Volleyball Canada High Performance Director (Indoor).
On the women’s side, returning head coach Marcello Abbondanza is wrapping up the season with his Polish club team (Chemik Police), and is looking forward to getting back to Canada for the selection camp, scheduled from May 6 to 11 in Richmond, BC.
Abbondanza’s main target for the season is the FIVB Women’s World Championship in Japan at the end of September. Also returning to the team staff will be assistant coach Vincenzo Mallia, therapist Giorgio Caiterzi as well as assistant coach Richard Schick, who acted as the head coach for the National Excellence Program (NEP) through the fall and winter, and will now be a full-time assistant coach with the program. Haiqi Liu, from Kitchener, Ontario, as an assistant coach and Tommaso Barbato from Urbino, Italy, as the new team statistician, complete the staff for 2018.
On the men’s side, Stéphane Antiga will be back for a second summer at the helm of Team Canada, and Dan Lewis will reprise his role as assistant coach. Lionel Bonnaure (now in a full-time position with Volleyball Canada) returns as the team statistician, and Melissa Healy will be back as the team head therapist based at the men’s training centre in Gatineau, Quebec.
Team Canada will once again have a very busy schedule with the new Volleyball Nations League in May and June as well as the FIVB Men’s World Championship in September (see full schedule below).
Press Release Courtesy Volleyball Canada.
Full Coaching Staffs
Women:
- Head Coach – Marcello Abbondanza, Chemik Police (head coach)
- Assistant Coach – Vincenzo Mallia, Toronto Varsity Blues (women’s assistant)
- Assistant Coach – Richard Schick, Canadian National Excellent Program, Richmond Training Center
- Assistant Coach – Haiqi Liu, Guelph Youth Volleyball Association (technical director)
- Therapist – Giorgio Caiterzi
- Statistician – Tommaso Barbato, Futura Volley Busto, Italy (statistician)
Men:
- Head Coach – Stéphane Antiga, OONICO Warszawa, Poland (head coach)
- Assistant Coach – Dan Lewis (former National Team libero)
- Therapist – Melissa Healy, Men’s Training Center, Gatineau, Quebec
- Statistician – Lionel Bonnaure, Volleyball Canada (full-time statistician with VB Canada)
Women’s team schedule:
- May 6-11 – Selection camp – Richmond
- May 15-20 – NORCECA Women’s Nations League Challenge Cup – Edmonton (GET TICKETS)
- June 18-24 – Nations League Challenger Finals (if qualified – location TBD)
- July 6-15 – Pan Am Cup – Santo Domingo, DOM
- August 17-September 3 – Europe Tour
- September 23-26 – Pre World Championship training camp (Sapporo, JPN – TBC)
- September 27-October 20 – World Championships – Japan (Canada’s 1st round pool in Sapporo)
Men’s team schedule:
- May 17-22 – Pre Nations League Tour (Poland)
- May 23-June 24 – Volleyball Nations League (in various countries)
- June 8-10 – Volleyball Nations League – Ottawa, ON (GET TICKETS)
- July 2-8 – Nations League Final 6 (if qualified – Lille, FRA)
- August 21-26 – Hubert Wagner Invitational – Krakow, POL
- August 27-31 – Pre World Championship Tour (Poland – TBC)
- September 1-8 – Pre World Championship Tournament (Slovenia)
- September 3-30 – World Championship – Bulgaria/Italy (Canada’s 1st round pool will be in Ruse, BUL)
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