Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 16, 2016 - It is time for the elimination rounds of the men’s volleyball tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The first ones to come out on the court at the Maracanazinho for their quarterfinal clash are the teams of Canada and Russia.
This will be the seventh time these two sides meet in a major international competition. Only once have the Canadians defeated the Russians - by 3-2 (20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-11) in an FIVB Volleyball World League match on July 18, 2013 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Russia and Canada have never met at the Olympic Games.
Their most recent encounter was at the FIVB Volleyball World Cup 2015 in Japan. The European team claimed a straight-set 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19) victory over the North American opponents in Toyama on September 17 of last year.
To make the quarterfinals at Rio 2016, Canada finished runner-up in Pool A with three wins, two losses and nine points, better than USA and Brazil on set ratio.
Canada’s most prolific player so far, Gavin Schmitt, has made 70 points and ranks eighth in the tournament’s Best Scorers chart.
With four wins, one loss (to Argentina) and 11 points, Russia ended up third in Pool B.
Maxim Mikhaylov is their best scorer so far with 68 points. He stands ninth in the overall ranking.