SAPPORO, Japan — Canada fell to 0-3 at the women's volleyball world championship with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-13) loss against top-ranked China on Tuesday.
It was the third straight three-set loss for No. 19-ranked Canada.
Kiera Van Ryk of New Westminster, B.C., led Canada with 11 points. Emily Maglio of Cranbrook, B.C., added nine.
"We fought, especially in the first two sets," said Canada coach Marcello Abbondanza. "We had maybe a chance to take a set, but when you're playing against players with such experience it's complicated. I'm happy with what I saw, and I hope this is a good start for our remaining two matches (against Cuba and Bulgaria), which are very important for us."
Canada captain Kyla Richey noticed a change in her team today after losses to Turkey and Italy earlier in pool play.
"It was a completely different team on court — we played with feeling and confidence," she said. "We got to show what we've been working on for the last five or six months. It was nice to see our team rise to the challenge. We lost a bit at the end, but overall I'm happy how we fought with one of the top teams in the world."
Ting Zhu scored a match-high 14 points for reigning Olympic champion China.
Canada returns to action on Wednesday against Cuba (0-3).
The teams are tied for last in Pool B. The top four teams in each of the four six-team pools advance to the second round.
The Canadian Press
