Nearly 15 months ago, Canada stunned a Ryujin Nippon-loving Philippine crowd by pulling off a five-set upset over Japan in the 2024 FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League on June 18, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
This time, with the sport’s biggest championship on the line, the Maple Leafs aim to recreate that magic as they prepare for a highly anticipated Pool G clash against Japan in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Monday, September 14, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
For 25-year-old middle blocker Flynn McCarthy — a key member of the Canadian squad that stunned Japan last year in Manila — the team knows the challenge of facing a lineup featuring Ran Takahashi and Yuki Ishikawa, but Canada is embracing it.
“We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be a tough challenge. I know they’re the fan favorites,” McCarthy said after contributing 12 points — six aces, four attacks, and two blocks — in Canada’s gritty four-set triumph over World No.75 Libya on Saturday morning.
“But last year in the VNL here in the Philippines, we beat them. We’re hoping we can do it again. It’s a big opportunity for us, and it’s going to be lots of fun,” he added.
(C) Volleyball World
To pull off another shocker against Japan on Philippine soil, McCarthy said Canada draws confidence from its resilience and composure in clutch moments, which were key in overcoming Libya — a squad returning to the World Championships for the first time in 43 years.
After Libya drew first blood, Canada found itself under pressure, but the Maple Leafs displayed remarkable poise in the fourth set. They overcame a six-point deficit and extended play to open their World Championship campaign with a strong victory.
“It was good. I love playing tight matches in important moments. This win builds a lot of confidence that we can continue to play well under pressure. Libya put a lot of pressure on us, but we managed to win the set. I’m proud of the guys,” the Bogdanka LUK Lubin middle blocker in the Polish PlusLiga league said.
Meanwhile, team captain Nicholas Hoag — who led Canada with a game-high 22 points on 16 attacks, three blocks, and three aces — cautioned against complacency. He noted that Japan remains a formidable opponent even without star spiker Yuji Nishida.
With Takahashi and Ishikawa leading the charge, Japan, known for its discipline, remains a serious threat — particularly with the rise of opposite hitter Kento Miyaura.
“If you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. We have to play a lot better against Japan, that’s for sure. Even without Nishida, they have Miyaru, one of the best opposites in the world with a very strong serve. They also have Ran and Ishikawa, two of the best players globally,” Hoag concluded.
“It’s going to be very difficult. We’ll need to bring our best to win against that team.”
