Sharone Vernon-Evans led Canada to a surprising victory over Japan at the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, scoring a game-high 14 points. Canada secured a 3-0 win with set scores of 25-20, 25-23, 25-22, improving their tournament record to 2-0 and climbing to eighth place in the world rankings.
Despite Japan outscoring Canada in service points (7-3), Canada dominated in attack points (40-33) and blocking points (10-2). Canada’s head coach, Dan Lewis, praised his team’s execution, highlighting their exceptional blocking performance.
Veteran captain Nick Hoag contributed 13 points for Canada, while Japan’s top scorer was Ran Takahashi with 11 points. Japan, the seventh seed in the world, dropped to 0-2 in Pool G and will not advance further in the competition.
Looking ahead, Canada will face No. 14-ranked Turkey (2-0) with the opportunity to secure the top spot in the group. The match is scheduled for Wednesday as Canada aims to continue their impressive run in the tournament.