Canada completes comeback to defeat Germany at women's volleyball worlds
Canadians storm back from 2 sets down to close out Pool C action with a victory
Canada's women's volleyball team fought back from being two sets down to defeat Germany in a five-set thriller at the FIVB women's volleyball world championships in Lodz, Poland, on Saturday.
Calgary's Alexa Gray scored 25 points as Canada closed out Pool C play with a 3-2 comeback victory (12-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-18, 15-9). Kiera Van Ryk of Surrey, B.C., added 19 points.
The Canadians (3-2), who had already booked their spot in the second round, finished third in the five-team group. Canada downed Kazakhstan (0-5) and Bulgaria (1-4) and fell to the U.S. (4-0) and Serbia (4-0) in previous games.
"We're really excited to get another win", said 28-year-old Gray. "It's our first time going to the second round, and we really wanted to prove something tonight. I am proud of the way the girls fought. I think our team has come a long way and I couldn't be more proud."
WATCH | Canada defeats Germany at women's volleyball worlds:
Canada started to pick up steam in the second set, playing their way up to a 16-11 lead before the Germans (2-3) surged late to grab a 2-0 advantage.
A hard fought win in the third set followed by dominant performances in the fourth frame and in the tie-breaker saw Canada walk out with the win.
"Germany is a really strong team and it showed that we can come back. If answer A is not working, we will find answer B and C and D and we have got to be patient. We have to find confidence from this moving into the next round."
The second phase of the tournament will begin Tuesday.
Canada and the other 15 remaining teams will be divided into two groups. Alls squads will play four matches against opponents they didn't face during the previous stage, with the top four sides from both groups advancing to the quarter-finals.
Canada's opponents are yet to be determined.
Live action from the tournament is available via stream for free on CBC.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
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