Canada delivered a decisive blow to the Netherlands in the Volleyball Nations League, sweeping them 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-15) in Ljubljana. With this loss, the Dutch are no longer in full control of their VNL future, slipping to 18th place after their third consecutive defeat in Week 3 of the Preliminary Phase.
Now with just one win and five points from 11 matches, the Netherlands face a must-win scenario against reigning world champions Italy. Even a victory may not be enough—they’ll need either China or Serbia to avoid adding more wins in their remaining matches to stay in the league for 2026.
“We came up short today, and I don’t really know what else I can say,” said Dutch captain Wessel Keekink. “We fought, but sometimes that’s just not enough. We have to reset and give it all against Italy.”
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