MURMANN, MALLIA TO REPRESENT CANADA AT PAN AMERICAN CUP

Announced by Volleyball Canada on Wednesday morning, University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s volleyball player Julia Murmann and assistant coach Vincenzo Mallia were named to Team Canada for the upcoming Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup.

An outside hitter from Toronto, Murmann was selected alongside 13 other athletes for the Canadian squad that will head to Puerto Rico for the international event taking place from August 6-13. Competition for Canada in Group A of the tournament will include Colombia, Cuba, Peru, United States, and Suriname.

“The Pan Am Cup is an important competition for us,” said head coach Shannon Winzer. “We will have the opportunity to try different lineups in preparation for NORCECA Championships (to be held in Quebec City in late August) and Olympic Qualifiers (in China) and ensure that our whole roster is in our absolute best form going into the most important stage of the summer. This is also a great opportunity for some of our NextGen athletes to test themselves as they look to push into the Senior A team.”

Last season with the Varsity Blues Murmann earned OUA first team all-star honours for the second straight year, leading U of T with 3.18 kills per set, and ranking second on the team with 3.45 digs per set. She has also previously represented Canada at the Volleyball Nations League and at world championships in 2022.

In addition to Murmann, the Varsity Blues saw assistant coach Vincenzo Mallia named to the coaching staff of the Canadian contingent. Lead assistant with the Varsity Blues women’s volleyball program since 2014-15, Mallia has worked with Team Canada for a number of years including with the women’s senior national team, men’s senior national B team, and junior men’s national team.

Further information on the event can be found at www.norceca.net.