Action between Japan and Canada in Pool G of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship. Volleyball World
MANILA — Canada has shut the door on Japan's title hopes, ousting the fan favorites in straight-set fashion, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22, in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, Monday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The North Americans have now advanced to the Round-of-16, joining Turkiye which also won earlier in the day against Libya in four frames, 25-18, 23-25, 25-14, 25-16, in Pool G.
Sharone Vernon-Evans led the Canadian scoring with 14 points on 12 attacks, one block, and an ace, and Nicholas Hoag followed through with 13 points.
"I think today, we played really well and we’re very disciplined and that’s what we wanted to do going forward. I think we played our brand of volleyball and like kind of our identity of what we wanna be," said Vernon-Evans after the match.
"We were patient. We played a very physical game, which was very important. The Japanese team is probably the best defending team in the world," added Hoag.
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Canada, en route to the RO16 ticket, had to calm a Japanese side in Set 3 after a fightback late in the frame.
With Canada leading only by four, 21-17, Japan's Yuki Ishikawa sparked a mini-run with an ace, as Tatsunori Otsuka and Ran Takahashi came through with their attacks to close within one, 22-17.
Isaac Heslinga of Canada and Larry Ik Evbade-Dan of Japan answered each other with kills for a 24-22 count, but Vernon-Evans was there for the checkball hit to end the match which lasted for an hour and 16 minutes.
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"We have to just manage and I think the word we use is composure. We stayed very composed, I think throughout the game, and that was important for us," said Vernon-Evans.
Meanwhile, Germany also edged out Chile for win number one in Pool E, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21, while Cuba, after losing to USA, bounced back against Colombia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20, in Pool D.