11 Video Views·Jul 13, 2026
Canada vs Italy | Highlights | Women's VNL 2026. Canada and Italy met in Week 3 of the 2026 FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League on 11 July 2026 at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, China. The match was part of the final week of the preliminary round, where every victory was crucial in the race to qualify for the VNL Finals. With only a few matches remaining before the knockout stage, both teams entered the court knowing that every point could have a significant impact on the final standings.
Italy came into the match as one of the strongest teams in the tournament and one of the favorites to win the 2026 Women's Volleyball Nations League. Throughout the competition, the Italian team demonstrated outstanding consistency, combining powerful attacking, disciplined blocking, excellent defensive organization, and one of the deepest rosters in international volleyball. Led by world-class stars such as Paola Egonu, Myriam Sylla, Anna Danesi, Sarah Fahr, Alessia Orro, and legendary libero Monica De Gennaro, Italy continued to showcase why they remain among the elite teams in women's volleyball.
Canada entered the match looking to challenge one of the world's best teams while continuing to build confidence and valuable experience against top-level international competition. The Canadian squad featured talented players including Alexa Gray, Kiera Van Ryk, Jazmine White, Brie King, Hilary Howe, and Andrea Mitrovic. Throughout the 2026 VNL, Canada relied on aggressive serving, physical attacking, and improving defensive organization to compete with the world's strongest volleyball nations.
The tactical battle featured two contrasting styles of play. Italy focused on fast offensive combinations, efficient middle attacks, strong blocking, and consistent serving pressure that has become one of the team's trademarks. Canada looked to counter with physicality, powerful wing attacks, aggressive serving, and determined defensive play in an effort to disrupt Italy's rhythm and create scoring opportunities.
The match carried significant importance in the final days of the preliminary round. Italy was fighting to strengthen its position near the top of the standings and secure qualification for the Volleyball Nations League Finals, while Canada was aiming to earn valuable ranking points and produce an impressive result against one of the tournament favorites.
Unfortunately, official public sources have not yet published the complete match details. While the match is officially confirmed to have taken place on 11 July 2026 in Hong Kong, there are currently no verified final score, set-by-set results, individual player statistics, top scorers, or official match report available. Until Volleyball World releases the official statistics, it would not be accurate to provide those details.
Despite the lack of official statistical information, the Canada vs Italy matchup represented another important contest in the closing stages of the 2026 Women's Volleyball Nations League, showcasing two competitive teams with different playing styles battling for crucial points as the race for the VNL Finals reached its conclusion.
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In the darker jerseys, Canada in the white today with the black shorts and the red numbers.
Sila serving first, Franson with her first touch and boom sides out. Nice confident start for the
Canadians. Yeah, we've seen Canada do that. 25 points versus China, a tournament high for her.
Sila, great reception. Oro out wide. Navini, wasn't the best first touch from Gray. Van Rijk
straight into the block. Danese is at the races. Another massive serve.
Gotta credit Navini for getting something on these balls. They set her on the court for Canada.
Is that going to be an issue? Not this time. Schreck. I joke, she's watching the game. Of
course she is. She's going to come back in and make a different pass. They still haven't got
the ball on the floor though. I mean if they do though, it's all because Navini has made a
miraculous pass. Garneau again just doesn't look like she wants to swing. Gusen does. Oh what a
winner. Italy need some break points. Bakers on. Well played Sila. Antropova off the hands and just
reacts well but can't get there. Feels important. Side out here and it's 23-20. You're not quite
home and hose but you're in a good spot. That is exactly what you need. Schreck crushes one.
Now Giovanini, Bersino and Sila in the passing group as Gray serves for the set. Bersino,
it's a good pass. And Danese's first attack point is a clinical one. She sprints back to the service
line as well. Great time to go quick. Good wrist way swing. It's Danese's serve. All good to deal with.
Flat but it's a lovely pass. This for the set. Oh how easy was that? Van Rijk.
Here's how it finished. First ball side out overhead down the line by Gusen. Stretch for
that by Maglio. Free ball. Chance to sneak into the lead here. Sila. Good up. Well watched by Gray.
Squeezed back over on the block. Van Rijk. Oh monster block. Danese. Block number four for her
in the game. Well let's see if that's the spark that Italy needed. Especially after dropping that
opening set. That's a fast serving. Baker having to chase. She's not going to get there. Danese
makes it easy. We've had a Guidetti. We've had a Guidetti clipboard slap.
Right 18-19 Canada. Still need break points. Novini into Oro. She's going to get this back
and she is going to get shut down by Thornboom who levels the scores at 19-19.
21-21. Gray. Shut down. That is a monster block and a momentum swinger for Italy.
One time too many by Canada. Here it is. We didn't think she'd get around again.
It's taken 54 points. Great pass. Great finish.
To turn the momentum. What can she do here at 28-27. Overpass. Off the hands and Canada lead
by two sets to zero. Massive part in that second set win. Well this is now absolutely huge for a
number of reasons. One in set number three. They've changed ends. Canada leading by two sets to zero.
Gray bumps that over to Van Rijk. She manages to pick up a touch and it's using.
Now Giovanini. Just this time. Frampton off the net. Goosen. Just long.
We're going to see our first challenge of the match. It's going to have to be a challenge.
Force wide. Van Rijk. What an angle. Antropova's there. Free ball offered up by Farr.
It's to level. Maglio. Didn't look clean but doesn't matter. Most of her attacks don't look
that clean. Service aces. She's up to 10 points. Oh and then she's put that up off the chest.
Fersino over on one and finished by Goosen. Because it was a block but she's gone at that
with one hand so it isn't. This has got shades of set two all over it. Farr. That was Goosen.
This is Goosen. Giovanini. Brilliant. Silla. Into transition. Oh and then over from Van Rijk.
She doesn't like that. Dainese with the first touch. Igonu. It's a good up and that is
that is spice. Two set points now for Italy.
Gray. Silla. Lovely adjustment. Antropova. Still in the air. They are not going down
without a fight candidate. Now it's into transition. Franssen. Gray. Brilliant up.
Oro. Antropova has to push her out of the way. Oh chaos and carnage at the net. Oro set the ball.
Set points. Silla will do it here for Italy. Antropova. There it is. Italy still in the game.
27 points in the ascendancy. Two sets to one up and the start of set number four. Sarah Farr
siding out. Gray. Oh right on the tape. Chance here then for Italy. Giovanini. Well played.
Can they get a swing on it? Yes they can. We don't get to see it from the end camera very often
but there is a nasty swazz on that ball. You think they've seen a blocked touch. They haven't.
I would agree with you dude. Just evidence that they belong at this level and oh boy oh boy do
they belong at this level. They still need at least two break points to win this set Italy.
Oh one man. Silla gets Van Rijk. It's 20 all. Chime out incoming. 21-20. Thogboom.
Big big swing from Thogboom. Farr. Guzen. Van Rijk. Block on Van Rijk. 23-22.
Still in the balance. Canada need the tie at the side out here. No timeouts left. Oh off the
shoulder of Oro. Antropova. She's gonna swing but not score. Chance to level. Guzen with the tip.
It's a beauty. It's a beauty from Guzen. It's a game that deserves a fifth set. Are we gonna get one?
Oh we just might you know. Dainese. Free ball. It's close. It's close. It's long. Maglio misses.
Leveled. No. No yellow circle. No yellow circle of confirmation. Serving first in this race to 15.
The fifth and final set of an epic game between Italy and Canada and Antropova goes off the hands.
Gray can't reach it. Point number 31 for Antropova. These are the moments
in the shortened format of the fifth set this Ida. Van Rijk only as far. Silla. Antropova can't get a
proper swing on it though. Is this half a chance here for Van Rijk? Just lost a bit of their tempo
and momentum Canada. And they need to find it here. Van Rijk's right hand might be the way to do it.
Oh it's long. It looked a great connection but there was no block touch there. Changed their
mind as many times as they like. It's 6-2 here and this would be some comeback for Canada now.
Van Rijk. That is a really good swing. Silla. Gray. Just is gonna send this one up for Gray
to try and produce a miracle. But not today. It is a reverse sweep. It is another victory for Italy.
