After successfully starting their participation in the 2026 Volleyball Nations League a day earlier with a dramatic victory over Italy, the French national team suffered a surprising defeat to host Canada in Ottawa. "Les Bleus" lost 1:3 (20:25, 18:25, 25:21, 25:27) and recorded their first loss in the tournament.
The Canadians asserted physical superiority.
Right from the start of the match, the Canadians displayed aggressive play and seriously troubled the French. Led by former Toulouse and Montpellier middle blocker Danny Demyanenko, the hosts quickly built a lead in the first set and won it 25:20.
In the second set, the scenario repeated. Canada's strong serve and excellent block play brought another success with a 25:18 win, with middle blocker Jackson Howe being particularly impressive.
France came back, but couldn't force a tie-break.
Coach Andrea Giani sought a change and brought in Antoine Brizard, Simon Maan, François Huetz, and libero Luca Ramon. The substitutes brought the necessary energy, and France managed to reduce the deficit after winning the third set 25:21.
The fourth set was the most contested of the match. The French equalized at 18:18 after a block by Stephen Boyer, but in crucial moments, the Canadians showed stronger nerves and closed out the match 27:25 on their third match point opportunity.
Match Statistics
| Indicator/Category | Canada | France |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 58 | 53 |
| Block | 15 | 7 |
| Ace | 1 | 6 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 24 | 22 |
| Total points | 98 | 88 |
| Digs | 58 | 62 |
| Receptions | 73 | 81 |
| Rallies played | 101 | 119 |
Canada compensated for its deficit in all back-row elements through its immense superiority at the net. The hosts scored 15 block points against just 7 for France, which proved to be the decisive factor for the final success. The French had an advantage in serving (6 aces against 1), as well as more digs and receptions, but failed to capitalize on this advantage. The 10-point difference in attack and block (73:60) tipped the scales in favor of the Canadians.
Top scorers
| Canada | Points | France | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xander Ketrzynski | 20 | Stephen Boyer | 19 |
| Eric Loeppky | 18 | Mathis Henno | 16 |
Xander Ketrzynski once again confirmed his role as Canada's main offensive figure, finishing as the top scorer in the match with 20 points. He received significant support from Alex Nikolov's teammate at Lube, Eric Loeppky, with 18 points. For France, Stephen Boyer did everything possible to keep the team in the match with 19 points, but the lack of sufficient blocking effectiveness prevented the Olympic champions from reaching a tie-break.
The victory brought Canada 12.14 points for the world ranking, while France lost the same amount. The Canadians climbed to No. 8 in the world with 259.82 points, while the French dropped to fifth place with 324.17 points.
