Canadian women's volleyball team beats Mexico but fails to clinch Olympic spot

Canada's women's volleyball team scored a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-17) win over Mexico on Saturday, but fell short in its bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Canadian attack was led by Kiera Van Ryk of Surrey, B.C. (17 points), Alexa Gray (13) and Hilary Howe (12), both of Calgary, and Emily Maglio of Coquitlam, B.C. (11).
Canada improved to 4-2 with the victory, but it's not enough for entry into the Paris Games.
Serbia and Dominican Republic, both with 5-1 records, have all but secured the top two spots with one day remaining at the Olympic qualification tournament. Canada is in fourth place in Pool A with 11 points, trailing Serbia and Dominican Republic by four points each.
Only the top two teams in the pool qualify and Canada can only pick up a maximum of three points in their final game against Czechia on Sunday.
"We did what we needed to do to come out on top today against Mexico," said Canada coach Shannon Winzer. "Every team has a difficult schedule with seven games in nine days, but I would argue this is the toughest pool across these Olympic qualifiers so being able to pull out a three-set win today was not easy and we were able to get the job done. Sometimes that just has to be enough."
Netherlands, also at 4-2 but one point ahead of Canada, will face Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Six teams from the qualifying tournament will join host France at next year's Olympics.
Five more countries can earn berths next summer through world rankings, meaning Canada can still qualify for Paris with a successful Volleyball Nations League season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'Trudeau can end it all': Conservative carbon tax filibuster stretches into second night
With no signs either side is ready to retreat, the marathon voting session in the House of Commons has stretched into its second day, after MPs stayed up all night rejecting Conservative attempts to defeat government spending plans over the Liberals' refusal to scrap the carbon tax.
Ryan O'Neal, star of 'Love Story,' 'Paper Moon,' 'Peyton Place' and 'Barry Lyndon,' dies at 82
Ryan O'Neal, the heartthrob actor who went from a TV soap opera to an Oscar-nominated role in 'Love Story' and delivered a wry performance opposite his charismatic 9-year-old daughter Tatum in 'Paper Moon,' died Friday, his son said.
Monster storm in North Atlantic stretches cloud from Atlantic Canada to Portugal
A large low-pressure system centred about 750 kilometres to the northeast of Newfoundland is causing clouds to stretch all the way to Portugal.
Shohei Ohtani watch kicks into higher gear in Toronto as Blue Jays fans track private plane
Shohei Ohtani watch in Toronto has kicked into another gear.
California teen becomes youngest to pass state bar exam
A county prosecutor's office says one of its law clerks passed the State Bar of California exam at age 17.
Ibrahim Ali found guilty of killing 13-year-old girl in B.C.
A jury has found Ibrahim Ali guilty of killing a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in a Burnaby, B.C., park in 2017.
Influenza cases rise in second week of flu season, swine flu most prominent
Influenza cases were on the rise during the second week of the annual flu season, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, with swine flu being the most detected subtype.
U.S. vetoes UN resolution backed by many nations demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza
The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution Friday backed by almost all other Security Council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Supporters called it a terrible day and warned of more civilian deaths and destruction as the war goes into its third month.
Six French teens convicted over their roles in an Islamic extremist's beheading of a teacher
A French juvenile court on Friday convicted six teenagers for their roles in the beheading of a teacher by an Islamic extremist that shocked the country.