VNL 2025: Canada embark on new mission

with Empowerment and experience

May 23, 2025.- Empowered on the court and guided by veteran coach Giovanni Guidetti, Canada target a breakthrough season. Canada’s women’s volleyball team will open their 2025 Volleyball Nations League campaign on home soil in Ottawa, but the journey that brought them here was shaped long before the opening whistle.

After years of building stability and gaining ground internationally, Canada’s women enter VNL 2025 with experienced players, a new head coach, and a sharper sense of what it takes to close the gap on the world’s top teams.

A key driver of Canada’s rise has been sustained support through FIVB Volleyball Empowerment. Since 2020, Canada has received CHF 1.55 million in support for its programmes. That support helped in hiring a top-tier coach, the expansion of performance and medical staff, and the creation of a professional structure to strengthen athlete development and national team operations.

Canada entered the VNL in 2021 and have qualified every year since. In 2023 and 2024, they posted their best results to date, finishing 10th overall and narrowly missing out on the Final Round. Later in 2023, they came close to securing an Olympic berth, finishing third in the qualification tournament in Ningbo – their strongest bid since Atlanta 1996. These performances reflected years of growth that helped establish their rise in women’s volleyball.

The foundation for that run was laid by Shannon Winzer, who coached the team from 2020 through the Olympic qualification cycle. She now serves as Volleyball Canada’s High Performance Director, helping guide the national programme’s long-term development.

Taking her place on the bench is Giovanni Guidetti, one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport, with four Olympic campaigns on his résumé. Appointed in January, the Italian brings a track record of elevating national teams and leading top clubs to international titles. His arrival marks the start of a new mission for Canada – adding a new layer of technical leadership and competitive insight to a team that has grown steadily in recent seasons.

Canada’s core also returns. Kiera Van Ryk leads the offence with power and consistency on the right side. Brie King continues to set the rhythm with confidence and control. Their experience, combined with Guidetti’s leadership, gives Canada a solid base in a season where margins will be tight.

Canada will play their opening four matches in Ottawa from 4 to 8 June, facing Bulgaria, Netherlands, Japan and Serbia. From 18 to 22 June, they move to Istanbul to meet Korea, Türkiye, Brazil and Belgium. The final week of pool play takes place in Arlington, Texas, with matches against Germany, China, United States and Thailand from 9 to 13 July. The Final Round will be in Lodz, Poland, from 23 to 27 July.

The team will also compete at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, set to be held in Thailand later this year.

VNL 2025 comes at a time when Canada’s foundations are in place. Empowerment support has shaped the programme, experience anchors the core, and Guidetti brings a new perspective to the bench. The mission now is to keep moving forward.