Canada sweeps Brazil to boost VNL Top 8 bid

MANILA, Philippines — Canada nabbed a crucial win in its quest for a Final 8 spot in the 2024 VNL for Men as they scored a sweep over Brazil, 26-24, 25-19, 26-24, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.

Armed with more rest and recovery, the Canadians made light work of the South American side, who played their match against Team USA less than 24 hours prior.

Though the first and opening sets were tightly contested, the Canadians were buoyed by the momentum of their back-to-back wins prior.

They’re currently 3-0 in the Manila leg and 7-4 overall. Because they’re close to Brazil in the standings going into the game, the win became much more vital in ensuring their place in the Final 8.

Eric Loeppky, who scored 21 points in their win over Brazil, said that it was just everything falling into place for the Canadians.

“I think it’s been the build up. I think every week, if you guys have been following on, we’ve been getting better from Week 1.” Loeppky said. 

“So, I think it's really coming together for us this week and I think we wanna just keep on improving and getting better," he added.

Canada has one game remaining in Manila, going up against the Netherlands on Saturday, June 22.

In the earlier game on Friday, France sent Iran crashing back to earth with a three-set sweep, 25-21, 25-17, 25-20.