Nick Hoag, Canadian men's Olympic volleyball team aim to build on 8th place Tokyo finish
9th-ranked squad was 5th in recent Volleyball Nations League tournament
Captain Nick Hoag will lead Canada's men's volleyball team at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Volleyball Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced the team's roster Monday.
Canada qualified for Paris after placing second in its pool at a FIVB tournament in China last September.
Hoag will make his third straight Olympic appearance. The 31-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., and the ninth-ranked Canadians finished fifth at a Volleyball Nations League tournament in June.
"It is always a great experience and every time it feels like a new one, too," Hoag said in a press release. "We also have a very different team than the last two Olympics. Not only because of the several players retiring but also because volleyball has also evolved so much.
"It's the highest level of volleyball in the world so it'll be interesting to see how we perform outside of the recent Volleyball Nations League competition.
"It is also very exciting to see all these new players coming into such a big tournament and perform at such a high level," Hoag added. "As in the previous two Games, our objective is nothing less than a medal."
The Canadian men's volleyball team is appearing at its sixth Summer Games, with a fourth-place finish at the 1984 Los Angeles Games its best result. Canada placed eighth at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Men's volleyball takes place from July 27 to Aug. 10 at the South Paris Arena 1. Canada begins tournament play July 28 against Slovenia.
"To choose the Olympic team is not simple and I want to thank all the players who have worked so hard for this dream to be in the Olympics, including those who are not on the roster," head coach Tuomas Sammelvuo said. "We want to represent Canada in the best way possible and for the whole country to be proud of Canadian volleyball on the world stage in Paris.
"Our focus is now on preparation for Paris — we must arrive on the court for the first match in the best technical, tactical, and mental condition possible. We don't have a lot of time, but we will use our time effectively as we get back to work to get ready for the Olympic tournament."
WATCH | Full match replay — VNL quarterfinal in June, Canada vs. Japan:
Canadian roster
- Luke Herr – Winnipeg
- Brett Walsh – Calgary
- Nicholas Hoag – Sherbrooke, Que.
- Eric Loeppky – Steinbach, Man.
- Stephen Maar – Aurora, Ont.
- Brodie Hofer – Langley, B.C.
- Fynn McCarthy – Lake Country, B.C.
- Danny Demyanenko – Toronto
- Lucas Van Berkel – Edmonton
- Xander Ketrzynski – Toronto
- Arthur Szwarc – Toronto
- Justin Lui – Pickering, Ont.
- Reserve: Ryley Barnes – Edmonton
