Langley’s Danielle Ellis scored 11 points as Canada defeated Italy 3-1 (25-16, 25-14, 15-25, 25-18) to even their record at 1-1 in sitting volleyball.
Sunday’s victory was Canada’s first win in women’s sitting volleyball, after a close five-set loss to Brazil in its Paralympic Games opener.
READ ALSO: Local putting big points on sitting volleyball scoreboard during Paralympic Games
Team Canada took control early, winning the first two sets before defeating Italy 3-1 to bring its group play record to 1-1 with one game remaining.
Canada’s Heidi Peters was the game’s top scorer with 34 points.
“I am so proud of this team and how we brought the heat and intensity in that match,” Peters commented.
“We had a low in the third set and rallied back by focusing on the game plan, staying aggressive, and executing. We are focused on our next match against Japan and looking to secure a spot in the semifinals.”
Head coach Nicole Ban called it “the volleyball we want to be playing. We knew we could improve on some areas of our game play and we did that today. We were aggressive in all aspects of the match and because of that, we got the outcome we wanted. I’m proud of the resiliency this group showed and we are ready to carry the momentum forward.”
READ ALSO: From B.C. to Tokyo: Team Canada seated volleyball captain prepares for Paralympics
Ellis, the team captain, was born in White Rock and raised in South Surrey before she moved to Langley City.
Canada next plays Japan on Sept. 1 and a win would put them in the semifinals.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
