June 14, 2026: In another five-set battle, Canada fell to Türkiye 2-3 (21-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-14, 8-15) on the final day of week one of Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in Ottawa, Ontario.

This was the second five-set match in a row for Canada after a loss to USA on Saturday. Canada opened the week with a five-set loss to Germany, but beat France 3-1 on Thursday.

“This is a long tournament, and you need to get points even when you lose – that’s crucial,” said Canada’s head coach Dan Lewis. "These five setters that go on and on add to the volume for the players. These guys really fought hard today. We got some other guys on the court to get the opportunity to build on what will be needed for the next two weeks as we travel. This is an important moment as we shift gears and there will be some change in players and roles.”

In another setback for Canada, libero Landon Currie was injured toward the end of the second set and was replaced by Zachary Hollands for the remainder of the match.

Overall, Canada led in attack points (54-52), while Türkiye led in blocks 10-9 and aces 8-5. Türkiye also made more errors 34-26.

Outside hitter Jackson Young led Canada in points with 18 (15 kills, 1 block and 2 aces). Veteran Eric Loeppky contributed 15 points (14 attack points and an ace).

Ottawa has hosted VNL since 2018 at the Arena at TD Place.

“The crowd was incredible,” Lewis said of the local fan base. “First to be able to play volleyball for Canada in Canada and second to have the unbelievable emotional support with family and friends and that massive connection. It’s a special moment for volleyball in Canada.”

For Team Canada, men’s week 2 of VNL kicks off in Ljubljana, Slovenia, later this month.

In VNL's preliminary phase, each participating team plays 12 matches spread across three competition weeks. There are three pools per week played at three different venues with six teams each.

Tournament website: https://en.volleyballworld.com/volleyball/competitions/volleyball-nations-league

Team Canada Players
Landon Currie – Coldstream, BC
Danny Demyanenko – Toronto, ON
Max Elgert – Athabasca, AB
Pearson Eshenko – Banff, AB
Mason Greves – Calgary, AB
Daenan Kofi Gyimah – Scarborough, ON
Luke Herr – Winnipeg, MB
Brodie Hofer – Langley, BC
Zachary Hollands – Victoriaville, QC
Jackson Howe – Calgary, AB
Xander Ketrzynski – Toronto, ON
Eric Loeppky – Steinbach, MB
Stephen Maar – Aurora, ON
Erik Siksna – Markham, ON
Arthur Szwarc – Toronto, ON
Skyler Varga – Muenster, SK
Sharone Vernon-Evans – Scarborough, ON
Jackson Young – Toronto, ON

Staff
Dan Lewis – Head Coach
Juan Manuel Mendez – Assistant Coach
Chris Voth – Assistant Coach
Damian Musiak – Performance Analyst
Meredith Waisman – Sport Physiotherapist
Nicholas Poelman – Chiropractor
Kyle Paquette – Mental Performance Coach
Donna McDonagh – Mental Health Lead
Emilie Rousseau Comtois – Sport Dietician
Cassandra Nicol – Team Manager
Julien Boucher – High Performance Director

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