Canada’s national women’s volleyball team has stepped away from its home at the Richmond Olympic Oval and headed to Europe in preparation for next month’s 2018 FIVB World Championships in Japan.
The 19th ranked Canadian team are making stops in Instanbul, Turkey and Rimini, Italy for training and exhibition matches against No. 12 Turkey, No. 17 Bulgaria and No. 13 Germany. Head coach and Italian native Marcello Abbondanza is familiar with both countries having also played professionally in Turkey.
"I was pleased that we have had some success in our zone (NORCECA) earlier this summer, with the bronze medal at the Pan Am Cup," said Abbondanza. "Now I’m looking forward to this tour to focus and enhance our training for the Worlds, which is our most important and challenging tournament this year.”
Canada will then return back to Richmond for its final preparation for the World Championships which are slated to start Sept. 29.
The European travelling roster includes four players from B.C.: Kyla Richey (Roberts Creek), Brianna Beamish (Surrey), Emily Magilo (Cranbrook), and Kiera Van Ryk (Surrey).
