Canada got off to a promising start with a first-set victory, but Serbia rallied to beat their Volleyball Nations League rival 3-1 in a best-of-five match on Sunday at TD Place in Ottawa.
The Canadian men, who wrapped up the second week of VNL action with a 2-2 record, opened Sunday with a 25-21 win, but Serbia stormed back with three straight wins 25-20, 25-18 and 25-23 to take the match.
Serbia led in attacks (56-54) and serves (11-2). Canada led in blocks (8-7) and both teams committed 22 errors.
Outside hitter Stephen Timothy Maar and spiker Arthur Szwarc led Canada with 16 points apiece, while spiker Drazen Luburic led Serbia with 22 points and Miran Kujundzic had 19.
Canada, which has qualified for the Paris Olympics, beat Cuba on Tuesday and the United States on Saturday — both by 3-1 decisions — and lost 3-1 to Argentina on Thursday.
Canadian roster
- Luke Herr – Winnipeg
- Brett Walsh – Calgary
- Ryley Barnes – Edmonton
- Nicholas Hoag – Sherbrooke, Que.
- Eric Loeppky – Steinbach, Man.
- Stephen Maar – Aurora, Ont.
- Brodie Hofer – Langley, B.C.
- Pearson Eshenko – Banff, Alta.
- Fynn McCarthy – Lake Country, B.C.
- Danny Demyanenko – Toronto
- Lucas Van Berkel – Edmonton
- Xander Ketrzynski – Toronto
- Arthur Szwarc – Toronto
- Justin Lui – Pickering, Ont.
- Reserve: Jordan Schnitzer – Surrey, B.C.
- Reserve: Landon Currie – Coldstream, B.C.
