July 12, 2025: Canada took the reigning Olympic silver medalists, USA, to a thrilling five-set finish in Volleyball Nations League (VNL), ultimately losing the match 3-2 (26-25, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 17-19) on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.

Canada came out of the gate fighting and never looked back, forcing the Americans to earn extra points in the first and fifth sets. Overall, USA only had a one-point advantage in the game, thanks to an impressive performance on defense with 24 points off the block.

“First I want to congratulate this young group of players, who reached the first goal of staying in VNL for the next year and second, I’m a little sad today because I think this group deserved a big win,” said Canada's head coach Giovanni Guidetti. "We had three match points against USA in front of their home crowd … and we blocked very well. We were a little unlucky in a couple of situations and America was good in other situations.”

Team veteran Hilary Johnson put on a performance to remember, putting up an impressive, match-leading 29 points, including 25 off the attack – which was also top in the game. Anna Smrek was second on the team with 13 points, while leading the team in block points with six.

The Canadian women have a 2-9 record and sit 16th in the tournament. The point they gained for going to five sets puts the team in a position to qualify for VNL next year.

USA needed this win to qualify for the finals. The top eight teams move on to the elimination round and the team that finishes last (18th) will be relegated from next year's VNL.

Canada has one game left in VNL 2025, seeking a win over Thailand on July 13 at 4:00pm ET. In Canada, watch on CBC Sports.

Week 3 Results (Arlington, Texas)
Canada v. USA 2-3 (24-26, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 17-19)
Canada v. China 1-3 (22-25, 15-25, 25-22, 23-25)
Germany v. Canada 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13).

Week 2 Results (Istanbul, Türkiye)
Belgium v. Canada 3-2 (22-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-22, 18-16)
Canada v. Brazil 0-3 (20-25, 23-25, 23-25)
Canada v. Türkiye 0-3 (16-25, 18-25, 24-26)
Korea v. Canada 3-2 (27-25, 25-18, 15-25, 20-25, 15-13)

Week 1 Results (Ottawa, Ontario)
Bulgaria v. Canada 2-3 (18-25, 12-25, 25-23, 25-19, 4-15)
Canada v. Netherlands 1-3 (18-25, 25-22, 15-25, 23-25)
Canada v. Japan 0-3 (24-26, 20-25, 19-25)
Canada v. Serbia 3-2 (20-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-12)

Canada's Roster (week 3)
Averie Allard, Winnipeg, MB
Quinn Pelland, Wanham, AB
Anna Smrek, Welland, ON
Emily Maglio, Coquitlam, BC
Jazmine White, Oshawa, ON (captain)
Nyadholi Thokbuom, Calgary, AB
Abagayle Guezen, Sherwood Park, AB
Andrea Mitrovic, Mississauga, ON
Hilary Johnson, Calgary, AB
Lucy Borowski, Vancouver, BC
Raya Surinx, Winnipeg, MB
Kacey Jost, St. Albert, AB
Katerina Georgiadis, Scarborough, ON
Julia Murmann, Toronto, ON

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