Russia drops Canada in men's Volleyball Nations League
Watch Canada vs. Poland on Sunday at 7 a.m. ET
Russia beat Canada today in four sets in the second match of week three of Volleyball Nations League, hosted by Iran.
Unlike yesterday's decisive loss to Iran, Canada kept the Russian team, who are defending VNL champions, battling throughout the match before falling three sets to one (25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23)
"Although we lost a hard-fought match versus Russia, the team played a much more focused match than yesterday," Canada's head coach Glenn Hoag said. "The time difference and jet lag have been an issue but the guys really were focused all match long.
"Our block defence was working very well and we were able to put pressure on Russia's attackers. Adam Schriemer and Daenan Gyimah did quite well for their first presence on court in VNL. We have another important match tomorrow against Poland, we can keep improving in all aspect of our game."
Sharone Vernon-Evans was a factor for Canada with 16 points, Arthur Szwarc contributed 11, while Nick Hoag and Stephen Maar had 10 apiece.
Denis Zemchenok was Russia's top scorer with 12.