
Canada men close VNL prelims by playing spoiler with win over Ukraine
Sitting in 12th in the VNL standings, Canada did not make the elimination round and will look ahead to the world championships in September. Ukraine needed a win to advance to the elimination round taking place in China.
Canada led in attack points (64-61), blocking points (9-6) and aces (6-4). However, the two sides were equal in errors at 27 apiece.
'I was very impressed with the group today – the entire team stayed focused for a very important match that finishes this VNL campaign for Canada,' said Canada head coach Dan Lewis.
'I'm proud of the way the guys executed today. Many new players were on the court, who have been patient and working very hard and are always ready to contribute at any moment. … We're looking forward to our next section of training that allows us to prepare for the world championships.'
Canada's Skyler Varga led all scoring with 27 points (24 attacks, two blocks, one ace), followed by teammates Jordan Canham (14 points) and Jesse Elser (12 points).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2025.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Three seeded Canadians placed in separate quadrants at men's National Bank Open draw
TORONTO - The path for a homegrown tennis player to win the men's Canadian Open title for the first time in the Open Era is set. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo were each placed in separate quadrants as the National Bank Open draw took place at Sobeys Stadium on Friday in Toronto. All three receive byes to the second round as part of the revamped tournament format, which will feature 96 players and take place over 12 days for the first time. The 2025 tournament marks the first time in history that three Canadian men will be seeded. Montreal's Auger-Aliassime holds the highest seed at No. 21, with Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., 22nd and Montreal's Diallo 27th. Germany's Alexander Zverev is the top seed in the tournament, which begins Sunday and runs through Aug. 7. Canada's Vasek Pospisil, the Vernon, B.C., native who announced he would retire after the tournament, will face a qualifier in his first-round match and potentially meet eighth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway in the second round. A raft of withdrawals affected the bracket in the leadup to the tournament, with the likes of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 6 Novak Djokovic dropping out. No Canadian man has ever won the National Bank Open singles title since the Open Era began in 1968. Robert Bédard, who won his third title in 1958, is the last to accomplish the feat. Bianca Andreescu's 2019 championship marked the first for a Canadian woman since Faye Urban in 1969. Gabriela Dabrowski remains the last Canadian to win on home soil, having emerged victorious in women's doubles alongside Brazilian partner Luisa Stefani in women's doubles in 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vancouver Rise FC hands AFC Toronto second straight NSL loss
BURNABY — Samantha Chang's two first-half goals was all Vancouver Rise FC needed in defeating AFC Toronto 2-1 on Thursday in Northern Super League action. Chang scored in the 19th and 35th minutes to tie the game, then put Vancouver (5-5-3) ahead in the contest. Kaylee Hunter opened the scoring, putting Toronto (8-5-1) on the board just nine minutes into the game. Toronto, which sits atop the NSL standings, has now lost two in a row on the heels of a five-game winning streak. Vancouver, meanwhile, has won two straight having entered Thursday's match coming off a 6-0 win over Halifax last Saturday. Vancouver next hosts Ottawa Rapid FC on Aug. 2, while Toronto next visits Calgary Wild FC on Aug. 2. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. The Canadian Press


Hamilton Spectator
19 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Canada's Leylah Fernandez upsets top seed Jessica Pegula in third round of Citi Open
WASHINGTON - Canada's Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals of the Citi Open hardcourt tennis tournament Thursday with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 upset win over top-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States. Fernandez had five aces to nine double faults and broke on three of her eight chances in the two-hour, 19-minute match. The Laval, Que., native had five break-point opportunities in the final set, converting on two of them. Pegula, meanwhile, had two aces to four double faults and broke on three of her seven opportunities. Fernandez will next face American Taylor Townsend in the quarterfinals on Friday. Earlier, Montreal's Gabriel Diallo was ousted in the third round of men's play with a 6-3, 6-2 loss to fourth seed Ben Shelton of the United States. Shelton was nearly unbeatable on serve, firing 16 aces to Diallo's five and winning a whopping 86 per cent of total service points. The American did not face break point while breaking Diallo three times on four chances. Diallo, seeded 15th in Washington, entered the tournament with a career-high world ranking of No. 35. He will next play at the National Bank Open in Toronto, where he is seeded 30th and will have a first-round bye. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.