Volleyball Canada

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Canadians playing volleyball professionally around the globe

November 4, 2019: Canadian volleyball athletes are making their mark internationally, with Volleyball Canada processing 125 international transfer certificates (49 women and 76 men). These players are competing in professional clubs around the world, gaining valuable competition experience while earning a living in the sport they love.

Among the transfers, women’s senior athletes Sarah Chase, Jennifer Cross, Megan Cyr, Jessica Niles, Danielle Smith, Alexa Gray, Emily Maglio, Alicia Perrin, Kyla Richey, Kim Robitaille, and Kiera Van Ryk are all playing across the globe.

Cyr plays on the highest-ranked women’s team in Europe compared to the other Canadian women with her Sm'Aesch Pfeffingen (Switzerland) club ranked 54th, according to the CEV Champions League. Smith’s Sliedrecht Sport (Netherlands) are ranked 59th, Niles’ Saint Raphael Var Volley (France) are 62nd, and Van Ryk’s Volley Bergamo (Italy) are 77th. Cross’ Maritza Plovdiv VK (Bulgaria) are off to a good start, bringing their ranking up nine spots to 75 to start the season.

On the men’s senior team, Blair Bann, Jay Blankenau, Danny Demyanenko, Jason DeRocco, Nick Hoag, Daniel Jansen VanDoorn, Brandon Koppers, Stephen Maar, Steven Marshall, Gordon Perrin, TJ Sanders, Ryan Sclater, Blake Sheerhoorn, Arthur Szwarc, Lucas Van Berkel, Sharone Vernon-Evans, Graham Vigrass, and Brett Walsh represent Team Canada professionally.

Maar’s Dynamo Moscow (Russia) are the sixth-ranked club in Europe according to the CEV Champions League. He’s the only Canadian to be on a top-10 European team, although a few come close. Team Canada captain Hoag is playing on the 12th-ranked Asseco Resovia (Poland), Van Berkel’s Galatasaray (Turkey) are 15th., Jansen VanDoorn and Walsh play together for the 17th-ranked Knack Roeselare (Belgium), and Blankenau’s Arkas Spor (Turkey) are 20th. Vigrass’ KS Jastrzębski Węgiel (Poland, 26th) and Marshall’s P.A.O.K. (Greece, 34th) round out the Canadian men playing for top-50 clubs.

With Blankenau at Arkas Spor is Team Canada head coach Glenn Hoag. He has coached the Turkish club since 2010, leading them to two Turkish League championships and one Turkish Cup title.

One of few Canadian players not playing in Europe, Perrin is also playing on an elite, highly decorated team, the Sada Cruzeiro (Brazil). The club has three Club World Championships to its name (2013, 2015, 2016), becoming the first club outside of Italy to ever win the title.

Canadian athletes are spread over 33 countries, with Germany attracting the largest amount (21 athletes). France is also a desired destination, with 12 Canadians playing for French teams. The women are spread across 20 countries, where the men are dispersed over 28.

In the 2018-19 season, Canada had 36 women playing in professional leagues internationally and 88 men for a total of 124. 

Women’s Transfers to 20 Countries

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan

Men’s Transfers to 28 Countries

Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Women’s Athletes (Club, Country) – Sorted by Name (Senior Team in italics)

Belhache, Kaila (Jeunesse Sport Coulaines, France)

Brisbois, Danielle (SWE Volley-Team Erfurt, Germany)

Burns, Janice Heather (SC WU-Studierende, Austria)

Calkins, Natasha (Engelholms VS, Sweden)

Carpentier, Sophie (VK Královo Pole, Czech Republic)

Charuk, Lucille (OK Kamnik, Slovenia)

Chase, Sarah (UTE Profilsport Szolgaltato, Hungary)

Cornwall, Vanessa Nicole (Puijo Wolley Juniorit, Finland)

Coulter, Alissa (VDK Bank Gent Volleyteam Dames Liga a Dames, Belgium)

Cross, Jennifer (Maritza Plovdiv VK, Bulgaria)

Cyr, Megan (Sm'Aesch Pfeffingen, Switzerland)

Derylo, Veronica (Volley Club De Valenciennes, France)

Donaghy, Alex Megan (Diósgyőr Röplabda Kft., Hungary)

Gray, Alexa (Volalto 2.0 Caserta SSD ARL, Italy)

Hutchinson, Latoya (Svedala VBK, Sweden)

Jones, Monica (UTS Sydney University Women's Volleyball Club, Australia)

Jorgenson, Kaylie (Turnverein Holz 02 e.V., Germany)

King, Brie (Dresdner SC, Germany)

Kovac, Sara (Odbojkarski Klub Gorica, Slovenia)

Kuse, Ahnika Morgan Kaylyn (CHEV Diekirch, Luxembourg)

Laramee, Cassie (PSV VBG Salzburg, Austria)

Lea, Aiden (CSM Clamart VB, France)

LeMay, Caroline (VC Tirol, Austria)

Livingston, Caroline (Volleylugano, Switzerland)

Lojen, Stéphanie (HVSE Sport Kft., Hungary)

MacKenzie, Claire Ainsley (VBC Volleya Obwalden, Switzerland)

Maglio, Emily (Azzurra Volleya Obwalden NLB, Germany)

Majewski, Nikala Quinn (Gislaved VBK, Sweden)

Mota, Julie (USV Schwertberg, Austria)

Murray-Methot, Marie-Pier (VBC Colombier, Switzerland)

Niles, Jessica (Saint Raphael Var Volley, France)

Ogilvie, Colleen (Kingwhale Corp., Taiwan)

Perrin, Alicia (Club Voleibol Haris, Spain)

Rainford-Allen, Savanah Tionne (Leixoes Sport Clube, Portugal)

Richey, Kyla (A.S. Aris Thessalonikis, Greece)

Robitaille, Kim (Quimper Volley 29, France)

Sall, Mallory (GSGV Giubiasco, Switzerland)

Savard, Vicky (C.D. Voleibol Haris, Spain)

Shevkenek, Leah (PSV VBG Salzburg, Austria)

Smith, Danielle (Sliedrecht Sport, Netherlands)

Taillon, Karine (Bruxelles Est Volley Club, Belgium)

Thomson, Mary Jean Cathrine (USV Schwertberg, Austria)

Tutton, Braedyn Joyce (Lindesberg VBK, Sweden)

Van Ryk, Kiera (Volley Bergamo SRL, Italy)

Veltman, Kelsey (Volley Millenium Brescia SSD ARL, Italy)

Walsh, Mariah (Rote Raben Vilsbiburg II, Germany)

Wells, Brittany (Koll IL, Norway)

White, Jazmine (Sm'Aesch Pfeffingen, Switzerland)

Men’s Athletes (Club, Country) – Sorted by Name (current senior team in italics)

Bann, Blair Cameron (TV Düren 1847 e.V., Germany)

Barbouche, Terek (AS Monaco, France)

Barnes, Ryley Brendan (SSCD Pallavolo Padova s.r.l., Italy)

Blankenau, Jay (Arkas Spor, Turkey)

Bornemann, Lars (Union Waldviertel, Austria)

Bowers, Matthew (BK Tromsø, Norway)

Brown, Andre (Sporting Clube de Portugal, Portugal)

Chambers, Arran (Netzhoppers Kw-Bestensee, Germany)

Cop, Michael (Scorpions Volleyball Club, New Zealand)

Couchman, Clayton Peter (Ishøj Volley & Beachvolleyklub, Denmark)

Cranston, Blain Duncan (TG 1862 Rüsselsheim, Germany)

Cross, Jerome (TSV Unterhaching e.V., Germany)

Cull, Jasmin (VC Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany)

Dailey, Brett Adrian (VC Fentange, Luxembourg)

Darlington, Jordan (Ishøj Volley & Beachvolleyklub, Denmark)

Demyanenko, Danny (Toulouse O.A.C.-T.U.C., France)

DeRocco, Jason (Al Ahly, Egypt)

Fraser, Colin Reid (Volley Näfels, Switzerland)

Friesen, Riley (Tendring VC, England)

Groenendijk, Douglas (VBC Weiz, Austria)

Grundmann, Randy Rolf (Södertelge VBK, Sweden)

Guidi, Mathew Angelo (VC Michelet Halluin, France)

Gunter, Brandley Robert (Hebar, Bulgaria)

Herr, Luke (Netzhoppers Kw-Bestensee, Germany)

Hoag, Nicholas (Asseco Resovia SA, Poland)

Hoag, Christopher (TFL Altekma SK, Turkey)

Hunt, Taylor (A.O.P. Kifissia, Greece)

Hunt, Steven (Al Wasl SC, United Arab Emirates)

Jansen VanDoorn, Daniel (Knack Roeselare, Belgium)

Jarvis, Jared (TV Rottenburg, Germany)

Kjos, Paul (Team Sunderland, England)

Kloke, Samuel Turner (VK Vestsjælland, Denmark)

Konrad, Caleb (Habo Wolley-87, Sweden)

Koppers, Brandon (Saems Tourcoing Vb, France)

Koslowsky, Tyler Scott (SVG Lüneburg, Germany)

Langvand, Trevor (CAPCI, Belgium)

Lynch, Joshua (TV Bliesen, Germany)

Maar, Stephen Timothy (VC Dynamo Moscow, Russia)

Mantha, Jori (TSV Herrsching e.V., Germany)

Marshall, Steven (P.A.O.K. Volleyball Club, Greece)

McCarthy, Fynnian Lionel (Montpellier Volley U.C., France)

McConkey, Jordan (Frejus, France)

Mend, Logan (Hapoel Kfar Saba, Israel)

Moate, Jonathan Stanley (TSV Giesen, Germany)

Nault, Braydon Darryl (VCA Amstetten NOE, Austria)

Ofoha, Uchenna (Netzhoppers Kw-Bestensee, Germany)

Perau, Erich (Ishøj Volley & Beachvolleyklub, Denmark)

Perrin, John Gordon (Sada Cruzeiro, Brazil)

Sanders, Tyler (Miejski Klub Sportowy Bedzin S.A., Poland)

Scheerhoorn, Blake (SVG Lüneburg, Germany)

Schmitt, Gavin (KEPCO, South Korea)

Schober, Leo (VCA Amstetten NOE, Austria)

Schouten, Casey Adam (Netzhoppers Kw-Bestensee, Germany)

Schubert, Jared (Wessex, England)

Sclater, Ryan Joseph (Montpellier Volley U.C., France)

Sedore, Brook Alois (Nea Salamina Famagusta, Cyprus)

Shank, Darryl (VBC Uni Bern, Switzerland)

Smethhurst, Colton (Tendring VC, England)

Spragg, Adam (Team Sunderland, England)

Strom, Keaton Lane (VCA Amstetten NOE, Austria)

Szeto, Raymond (Al-Ahli Club, Egypt)

Szwarc, Arthur (Top Volley SRL, Italy)

Taylor, Gavin (Perungan Pojat, Finland)

Taylor, Warren Kingston (VK Odolena Voda, Czech Republic)

Thompson, George (Clube K, Portugal)

Trence, Makus (CHEV Diekirch, Luxembourg)

Van Berkel, Lucas (Galatasaray, Turkey)

Varga, Lyndon Darren (TV Bliesen, Germany)

Vernon-Evans, Sharone (GS Porto Robur Costa ssd arl, Italy)

Vigrass, Graham (KS Jastrzębski Węgiel SA, Poland)

Walsh, Brett James (Knack Roeselare, Belgium)

Wilson, Marc (VK Karlovarsko, Czech Republic)

Wojcik, Robert (VC Greenyard Maaseik, Belgium)

Wood, Steven James (FC Schüttorf 09, Germany)

Yao, Brendan (UTS Sydney University Volleyball Club, Australia)

Zylstra, Anthony (Randaberg IL, Norway)

 

Photo of Nick Hoag: Asseco Resovia