Canada’s women’s sitting volleyball team nominated for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Twelve athletes have been nominated to the women’s sitting volleyball team set to represent Canada at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this summer, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Volleyball Canada announced Monday.

Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team – SITTING VOLLEYBALL

Angelena Dolezar – St. Albert, AB
Danielle Ellis – White Rock, BC
Anne Fergusson – Carleton Place, ON
Julie Kozun – Melfort, SK
Allison Lang – Edmonton, AB
Jennifer McCreesh – Smithers, BC
Sarah Melenka – Vegreville, AB
Jennifer Oakes – Calgary, AB
Heidi Peters – Neerlandia, AB
Felicia Voss-Shafiq – Burnaby, BC
Jolan Wong – Vermilion, AB
Katelyn Wright – Edmonton, AB

The squad features nine returning members from Tokyo 2020, where Canada secured fourth place, its best ever Paralympic finish. Seven players will be making their third Paralympic appearances – Angelena Dolezar, team captain Danielle Ellis, Jennifer Oakes, Heidi Peters, Felicia Voss-Shafiq, Jolan Wong, and Katelyn Wright.

“Ten-year-old me never would have guessed that I would be named to my third Paralympic roster and today me is so proud of the hard work and dedication that has made this dream come true,” said Ellis. “This team has worked so hard over this shortened quad to get to where we are. And now, we’re ready to fight to the last breath for a place on the podium at the Paris 2024 Paralympics in front of our family, friends, and fans in the stands. I think that may be what I’m looking forward to most. After Tokyo, I’m so ready to compete on the world stage in front of an electrifying Paris crowd, and I know the Canadian fan base is going to be huge!”

Anne Fergusson and Julie Kozun will be at their second Games, while Allison Lang, Jennifer McCreesh, and Sarah Melenka will make their debuts.

“Looking back 10 years ago to laying in a hospital bed, becoming a Paralympian never even crossed my mind, let alone the thought of having it become a reality,” said Melenka. “Now having the opportunity to represent my country on the biggest stage is truly a dream come true. We’ve battled extremely hard as a team over this last quad. We’ve reached new heights, but also fallen from those heights on occasion. We haven’t let those downfalls define us as a team and are carrying a lot of confidence leading into the Games.

“I can’t wait to wear the maple leaf proudly in my Paralympic debut and represent our country in front of my family, friends, and passionate fans. I look forward to accomplishing the goal my team and I had set at the start of the quad. Let’s bring home some Paralympic hardware!”

Just over a year after the Tokyo Games, Canada earned a historic silver medal at the 2022 world championships – its first podium at the worlds. Eleven members of that team will be in Paris.

The team qualified for the 2024 Games after advancing into the semifinals at the 2023 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Egypt, the highest finisher not yet with a Paris spot. Paris 2024 will be the third consecutive Games in which Canada’s women’s team competes. Sitting volleyball joined the Paralympic program in 1980 for the men and 2004 for the women. Canada first qualified in the sport in 2016, where the women’s team finished seventh. The Canadian men have not yet qualified for the Paralympic Games.

Most recently, Canada captured gold earlier this month at the Dutch Tournament in Assen, Netherlands. Defeating rivals Brazil in the final in five sets, it was an improvement over their fifth place at the Super Six tournament a month earlier in France.

“We are excited to announce our roster for the Paris 2024 Paralympics,” said head coach Nicole Ban. “We cannot wait for the three first-time Paralympic athletes named to this roster to have the title of Paralympian. The ability to compete on the biggest stage, representing Canada, while showing the world what is possible is something this team embraces and looks forward to doing to the best of their abilities.

“We will be leaning on the experience of most of our group, who will be heading to their third Paralympics and are motivated to improve our previous performances. Knowing that the most difficult challenges are yet to come, we look forward to embracing the difficulty and competing at what is sure to be an incredible Paralympic Games in Paris.”

Sitting volleyball competition will take place August 29 till September 7 at North Paris Arena. Canada will face off in three preliminary matches – versus Slovenia on August 29, Brazil on August 31, and Rwanda on September 2. The semifinals are September 5 with the medal matches on September 7.

“I am so thrilled to welcome all 12 women’s sitting volleyball players to the Canadian Paralympic Team,” said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “This is an incredible, talented, and dedicated group of athletes who have done so much to advance their sport and to put their team in a position to be a top contender in Paris. We wish them the best of luck in Paris and will be there to support them through the entire journey.”

“A huge congratulations to the 12 athletes nominated to the women’s sitting volleyball team for Paris,” said Josh Vander Vies, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “It has been so impressive to see this team’s rise on the international stage over the past several years, and Paris will be the exciting next chapter. I’m really looking forward to cheering them on at the Games.”

Prior to being officially named to the Canadian Paralympic Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. The current list of nominated athletes can be found HERE. The approved final roster will be announced closer to the start of the Games. Canada is expecting to send a team of approximately 130 athletes.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will begin with the Opening Ceremony on August 28 and continue through September 8. Audiences can tune in for CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8 on CBC, CBC Gem, CBC’s Paris 2024 website (cbc.ca/paris2024) and the CBC Paris 2024 app in English and on ICI TÉLÉ, ICI TOU.TV, Radio-Canada.ca/paris2024, and on the Radio-Canada Paralympiques app in French.