Canada Women’s Volleyball Ends 32-Year Olympic Drought, Earns Spot at LA28

Canada earned the first spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Canada's women's volleyball team is headed back to the Olympics for the first time since 1996. / NORCECA Volleyball Confederation

For the first time since 1996, Canada will be represented at the Olympic Games through women’s indoor volleyball. 

Canada earned the first spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games aside from the hosts, Team USA, when they took down the Dominican Republic in the championship match of the women's volleyball NORCECA Continental Qualifier. 

The team went 3-1 over the hosts, the Dominican Republic, in Santo Domingo, with outside hitter Alexa Gray and opposite Kiera Van Ryk putting up 22 points each. Middle blocker Nyadholi Thokbuom also contributed 11 points and seven blocks. 

The moment that sent Canada back to the Olympic stage after 32 years 🇨🇦

(H/T: @volleyballworld) pic.twitter.com/3lmdgQJWI5

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 30, 2026

Despite the Dominican Republic putting up a fight, with Brayelin Martinez leading the team with 19 points and Yonkaira Peña following with 13, Canada managed to lead in attack points 56-40, blocks 8-7, and aces 803. 

Los Angeles will now mark Canada’s fourth Olympic appearance and end a 32-year absence.

The team previously competed at Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984, and Atlanta 1996, where they finished tied for ninth with Japan out of 11 teams. The team just missed the mark for the Paris 2024 Games, finishing third in Pool A of the Olympic Qualifier tournament. 

"I don’t think I can put it into words how this feels," Gray told Volleyball World. "I started on the National Team in 2017, and this has been my lifelong dream. We’ve just come so far since that time. We were so, so close last quad and we were heartbroken. I’m just so proud of how we came out today; it was a tough environment, but this team means everything to me and I’m just so happy to represent Canada. So overjoyed!”

Not only was the Olympic qualification special, but defeating the Dominican Republic marked Canada’s first NORCECA Women’s Continental Championship title.

The win comes after one outstanding performance earlier in the week, when Canada grabbed their first continental title when it defeated the United States in a nail-biting tie-breaker 3-2. 

"I cannot ask for anything better," Canada’s head coach Giovanni Guidetti told Volleyball World. "We had two goals in the start of the season - reach the VNL (Volleyball Nations League) Finals and qualify for Los Angeles. This team did both and I’m extremely happy."

Canada’s improvement over the last few years has been supported through the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Empowerment. The national federation received $1,533,500 in coaching support, which allowed Guidetti to take the role of head coach in 2025.