Jan the 16 Indoor Women Senior
Volleyball Canada Announces New Women’s Head Coach
Ottawa, ON: Volleyball Canada is pleased to introduce Marcello Abbondanza as the new head coach of Canada’s Indoor Women’s Team.
Abbondanza is currently the head coach of Fenerbahce Sports Club in İstanbul, Turkey - bronze medalists in the 2016 CEV Champions League. He is also responsible for the development of youth teams in the club.
I’m very happy to join the Canadian women’s program. It will be very exciting to help build on the women’s team’s development and begin a new phase in Richmond, British Columbia. I look forward to meeting the athletes and working with Volleyball Canada to grow the women’s program.
Abbondanza, 46, worked with the Italian National Team from 2000 to 2006 as a trainer and coach, and served as the head coach for the National B team in 2005.
More recently, he was the head coach of the Bulgarian National Team until 2014 and oversaw that team at major international tournaments, including FIVB Women’s World Grand Prix. Abbondanza, who is Italian, also has more than 20 years of international beach volleyball experience.
Marcello will bring his extensive background from the professional system in Europe and his National Team experience in both Italy and Bulgaria to his new role. We are looking forward to working with him and I’m sure he will get a warm welcome in Richmond.
This month marks the opening of the new women’s training centre at the Richmond Oval in B.C.
Abbondanza replaces Arnd "Lupo" Ludwig who had guided the team since 2009 from its previous base in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Canada’s women’s team is currently ranked 19th in the FIVB Senior World Ranking, and its last Olympic appearance was 1996.
Abbondanza’s contract begins May 01, 2017.