Oct. 01 2022: Canada beat Germany in five sets in its final Pool C match of the FIVB Volleyball World Championship in Lodz, Poland on Saturday.

Germany commanded the first set, but Canada came back to be competitive in the second and then win the next three: Final score was 2-3 (25-12, 26-24, 23-25, 18-25, 9-15).

"Today you saw a lot of character because it would have been easy to give up after the first set and even after the second set, but we knew we weren’t playing our best volleyball and we kept working and trying to find a way to get back into the match,” said head coach Shannon Winzer. “It wasn’t easy and we were in and out of playing well. We battled through.

“Germany is a really strong team and it showed that we can come back... we can be down and we can find a way. 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.”

Canada's Alexa Gray led all scorers with 25 points. Overall, Canada slightly led in attack points (63-61), was even in blocking (9-9) and led in aces (6-4). Germany scored more points from Canada’s errors (27-23).

"We relied on our will to win today,” said setter Brie King of Langley, BC. “We just wanted it more in those last three sets and it showed it. I don’t think it was about who was better at volleyball, we just wanted it more! A win like this shows that we are capable of playing competitively with really good teams. We showed a lot of grit today, which is going to be needed against some tough opponents that are waiting for us.”

Canada is 3-2 in Pool C which includes Serbia, USA, Bulgaria, Germany and Kazakhstan. After a win over the U.S. tonight, Serbia claims first in the pool, with USA in second, Canada in third and Germany in fourth to also advance. Bulgaria and Kazakhstan do not move forward from this pool.

The next round for Canada begins on Oct. 04, also in Lodz, Poland.

Full schedule: https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/women-worldchampionship-2022/schedule/

The 19th edition of the Women's World Championship takes place in the Netherlands and Poland. Matches are being played across three Dutch and three Polish cities between September 23 and October 15.

Matches will be online at www.cbcsports.ca for Canadian viewers and on VBTV around the world.

Roster (in no particular order)
Jennifer Cross (captain), Scarborough, Ont.
Brie King, Langley, B.C.
Emily Maglio, Coquitlam, B.C.
Jazmine White, Oshawa, Ont.
Alicia Ogoms, Winnipeg, Man.
Hilary Howe, Calgary, Alta.
Andrea Mitrovic, Mississauga, Ont.
Alexa Gray, Calgary, Alta.
Caroline Livingston, Kelowna, B.C.
Kiera Van Ryk, Surrey, B.C
Vicky Savard, Jonquière. Que.
Kim Robitaille, Repentigny, Quebec
Julia Murmann, Toronto, Ont.
Arielle Palermo, Burlington, Ont.

Volleyball Canada Media Contact:
Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676

Photo: Volleyball World