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Canada will be aiming to level its record at 2-2 when it plays Serbia on Sunday to cap off the first week of women’s Volleyball Nations League action.
Canada slipped to 1-2 with a 3-0 loss to Japan in a best-of-five match played Saturday in front of more than 5,100 spectators at the Arena at TD Place in Ottawa.
Canada dropped the match to Japan 24-26, 20-25, 19-25. The unbeaten Japan squad led in attack points (39-33), serving (7-3) and made fewer errors 19-30).
“Japan is really tough to play against, and we were right there with them,” said Canadian setter Brie O’Reilly of Langley, B.C. “We’re just missing those after-20 [points] plays and finishing sets.
“We need to stay aggressive and take confidence that there was a lot of our game that was really great.”
WATCH l Canadian women fall to Japan in straight sets:
Japan defeats Canada 26-24, 25-20, 25-18 in FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League action from TD Place in Ottawa.
O’Reilly said the Canadians need to server more aggressively against Serbia and “just keep our block defence systems working a bit more cohesively.”
Kiera Van Ryk of Surrey, B.C., led the scoring for Canada with 13 points and also set a personal best with a serve clocked at 113 kilometres per hour.
Yukiko Wada of Japan led her team with 20 points.
Canada opened the VNL schedule with a win over Bulgaria and then lost a Thursday match to Netherlands.
Watch live coverage of Canada’s match against Serbia on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, starting at 6 p.m. ET. For a full streaming schedule of volleyball events this season, click here.
WATCH | Full match replay — Japan vs. Canada:
Watch Canada face Japan in FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League action from TD Place in Ottawa.
Canada roster
Brie O’Reilly — Langley, B.C.
Quinn Pelland — Wanham, Alta.
Anna Smrek — Welland, Ont.
Kiera Van Ryk — Surrey, B.C.
Emily Maglio — Coquitlam, B.C.
Jazmine White — Oshawa, Ont.
Jessica Andrews — Guelph, Ont.
Nyadholi Thokbuom — Calgary
Abby Guezen — Sherwood Park, Alta.
Andrea Mitrovic — Mississauga, Ont.
Hilary Johnson — Calgary
Lucy Borowski — Vancouver
Raya Surinx — Winnipeg
Delaney Watson — St. Jacobs, Ont.
Julia Murmann — Toronto
Kacey Jost — St. Albert, Alta.