Ruse, Bulgaria, September 13, 2018 - Canada shut out Egypt in another straight-set 3-0 (27-25, 30-28, 25-19) in Pool B at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship! The third match between these two teams in the history of this major volleyball event turned into a great battle with a lot of long rallies! In the end of each set however, the North Americans were more confident and achieved a second victory in a row in “Arena Monbat”.
Nicholas Hoag was the top scorer for the winners with 24 points. The captain of Canada John Gordon Perrin added 18, Graham Vigrass finished with 7. For Egypt Ahmed Shafik scored 17 points.
The players coached by Stephane Antiga started the match pretty well and took early 5 points advantage (11-6). In the next minutes the Egyptians showed great block-defense and managed to stop the captain of Canadians John Gordon Perrin to make the result 22-22. Both teams played point by point, but in the end Nicholas Hoag did a perfect job in attack and the North Americans won the opening set by 27-25. Hoag was the most prolific player on the court in the first minutes with 8 points.
Despite the end of the first set, Egyptians continued to play better and better, and after two blocks in a row, they had a huge 4-point advantage (8-4). Hisham Ewais finished the longest rally until this moment to make it 12-7, but step by step the Canadians managed to come back with great team work in all the aspects of the game and were 2 points ahead (24-22). The Egyptians didn’t give up and were really close to win their first set in the competition but in the end Canada managed to stay focused and won the second set by 30-28.
The third set was a completely different story. Antiga’s players controlled the game from the very first point, and despite the efforts of the Egyptians, Canada won the match after 25-19.
It is a third win for Canada against Egypt at a World Championship. In the previous two encounters between these two teams the North Americans won by 3-2 in Venice in 1978 and 3-0 in Gdansk in 2014.