Canada defeats Iran, moves into women's sitting volleyball semifinals

Canada's Heidi Peters (11) gets ready to defend in a quarterfinal match against Iran at the Sitting Volleyball World Championships in Hangzhou, China on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - World ParaVolley (Mandatory Credit)

HANGZHOU — Heidi Peters had a game-high 24 points Wednesday as Canada defeated Iran 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Sitting Volleyball Championships to advance to the semifinals.

Julia Chisholm added 10 points in a match Canada won with set scores of 25-19, 25-22 and 25-22.

No. 2 Canada remained unbeaten after five matches and was set to face the top-ranked United States in the semifinals on Thursday.

The Canadians can assure themselves of a berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics with a win against the U.S., or in the third-place match on Friday if they fall in the semifinals.

The U.S. secured a spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games by reaching the quarterfinals earlier in the tournament.

In men’s play, Canada lost to Croatia 0-3 in a placement-round match.

Canada will next face China on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2026.

The Canadian Press