Ruse, Bulgaria, September 12, 2018 - Nicholas Hoag led Canada in overcoming the Netherlands in straight-sets 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-18) and setting themselves up perfectly for a clash with Egypt on Thursday.
Hoag led the way with 12 points for the winners, while Vernon-Evans Shernon added 11. Top scorer of the match was the captain of the Europeans Nimir Abdel-Aziz who finished with 13 points.
Canada started their first match in Pool B in the best way possible at the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship and won the opening set by 25-15!
Jansen Vandoorn was the most prolific player on the field with 5 points.
Stephane Antinga’s team continued to play better in the first minutes of the second set. However, the Europeans managed to come back, led by Abdel-Aziz, who impressed with some powerful spikes which gave his team a one point advantage. Despite the efforts from the service line by Nicholas Hoag and Sharone Vernon-Evans, who contributed with two aces, the Europeans saved their lead by 16-15. In the end, however, a monster triple Canadian block finally managed to stop Abdel-Aziz, and after a serve mistake by the Netherlands, Canada won it by 25-23.
The key moment of the match was exactly the end of the second set. After the pause, the Canadians showed great focus on the field and despite some unforced errors in attack made sure they won it by 25-18.
It is the first win for Canada against the Netherlands at a World Championship, after the North Americans lost the previous two meetings in 1978 and 1990.