Canada loses to top-ranked U.S. in world sitting volleyball semifinal

Canada's Heidi Peters (11) prepares to spike the ball in a semifinal match against the United States at the Sitting Volleyball World Championships in Hangzhou, China on Thursday, July 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-World ParaVolley

HANGZHOU — Canada will play for third place in women’s competition at the 2026 World Sitting Volleyball Championships after losing 3-0 to the United States in semifinal action Thursday.

The U.S. convincingly won the battle of the top two teams in the world rankings with set scores of 25-15, 25-22 and 25-7.

The top two teams at the tournament qualify for the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. But with the top-ranked U.S. already assured of a spot, Canada can still earn a berth with a win over China in Friday’s third-place game.

The U.S will face Brazil in the final.

Captain Heidi Peters was the only Canadian to score in double-digits on Thursday with 13 points.

Kathryn Bridge had a game-high 15 points for the Americans, with Kaleo Kanahele Maclay scoring 13 and Emma Scheick adding 12.

In men’s action, Canada finished 15th with a 3-0 win over Japan in their second placement game of the day. The Canadians fell 3-2 to China earlier.