VANCOUVER -- The Canadian men's volleyball team is on a mission this weekend to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Canada had a chance to qualify for the games last August at a tournament in China, but they ended up losing to Argentina. The team now has to play another qualification round in Vancouver and must beat Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
"It’s our last chance to qualify for Tokyo 2020. We play three games Friday, Saturday and Sunday and if we win, we go. It’s as simple as that," said Daniel Jansen Van Doorn, a middle blocker on the Canadian men's team. Jansen Van Doorn is from Langley and now plays professional volleyball overseas.
"It will be the highest level of volleyball you’ll be able to see for a very long time," he told CTV News. "We don’t have a professional league or matches in Canada. It’s going to be really good games with high quality teams. We are going to put on a great show."
All of the games will be played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.
"We had a really good preparation period. I’m pretty excited about the whole thing. I think we are going to perform well," said Canadian head coach Gregg Hoag.
The Canadian men's team is ranked seventh in the world, and Hoag realizes the match against Cuba will be the team’s biggest test.
"It’s going to be a physical match," said Hoag. "They are a real good serving team and we are going to have to play a complete game against them."
The team is composed of a 14-player unit, which includes four men from B.C., like captain Gord Perrin, who hails from Creston.
"I'm very excited to be back home in B.C., especially because I grew up playing here," Perrin told CTV News. "All my coaches that taught me the game will be here and cheering. That will be very exciting."
Perrin, 30, was one of the key players that represented Canada in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where they placed fifth. This year, he’s impressed with the makeup of his team.
"We have a great mix of young and experience," he said. "Three of our key players have been to Rio and played in the biggest games in the world, and our younger players have played at a very high level."
Perrin plays professional volleyball in Brazil after stints in Poland, China and Russia. His leadership, experience and skill have propelled him to the top of his sport.
"He’s a real solid player for us, not only from a skilled point of view, but he always gets himself up for the big game," said Hoag.
Jansen Van Doorn echoes Hoag's sentiments, praising Perrin's leadership.
"He carried the team on his shoulders many times before. Hopefully he doesn’t have to this weekend, but we can always count on him," said Jansen Van Doorn.
And Perrin believes the team is ready for the challenge.
"I think we are ready to do something special," he said.
Canada plays Mexico on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Cuba on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Puerto Rico on Sunday at 4 p.m.
