By Canadian Press

Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team ends Paralympic team sport podium drought

Sep 7, 2024 | 9:58 AM

PARIS — Canada won its first Paralympic medal in women’s sitting volleyball and ended the country’s team sport podium drought Saturday.

The women’s volleyball team swept Brazil 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-18) to take the bronze medal at North Paris Arena.

The women were the first Canadian side to claim a Paralympic medal in a team sport since the men’s wheelchair basketball team won gold in London in 2012.

“Oh my gosh, literally disbelief, but also, we did it,” said veteran Heidi Peters of Neerlandia, Alta. “It’s indescribable.”

Canada finished seventh in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and fourth in Tokyo three years ago.

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

6h ago

off the schedule

BC Ferries preemptively cancels early Saturday sailings

13h ago

firm handshake

B.C. NDP government, Greens reach 'shared priorities' agreement

15h ago

Seven players of the dozen Canadians were Rio veterans and nine returned from the team in Tokyo.

Eleven were members of the squad that earned a silver medal at the 2022 world championship.

“I know how hard every athlete and every staff member and all of our family back home have worked for this moment,” captain Danielle Ellis said.

“It’s been years and years and years in the making, our third Paralympic Games, and we knew we wanted to be there.”

The women earned a measure of revenge on the Brazilians, who beat Canada for bronze in Tokyo and also in a pool game in Paris.

“There’s a lot of history with us and Brazil,” Peters acknowledged. “Today we just knew that we could do it. We were like, ‘This is our time and if we just show up and play our style of volleyball, serving tough and hitting the ball hard, the game will probably going our way.’ And it did.”

Calgary’s Jennifer Oakes led Canada with 10 attack points. Ellis of White Rock, B.C., and Peters each contributed nine.

Canada registered 15 digs as a team to Brazil’s 10.

“Losing to Brazil in the second game was tough,” Ellis said. “It just lit the fire beneath us.”

Canada’s men’s wheelchair basketball team fell 75-62 to Germany in the bronze-medal game in Paris.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 1ba1695def19f16680fef41740824ebafb5f1a8d46233720be77962b406aff85.jpg, Caption:

Members of Canada’s Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team celebrate during play against Rwanda at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, Michael P. Hall **MANDATORY CREDIT**

–>