Press release

Niteroi, Brazil, August 5, 2011 - From the beginning of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Junior World Championship 2011, Canada’s team hasn’t had much luck. Placing fourth in Pool D on the first round, the Canadians didn’t go through to the next phase in Rio de Janeiro and are now vying for ninth place.

However after a day of rest between first and second rounds, Canada came back as a different team, winning their first game on the competition against Japan.

Amongst the players, the 18-year-old Nicholas Hoag can be singled out. The wing spiker was responsible for 11 points in the victory over Japan, 3-0. Thus far in the tournament, Hoag has been one of the team's leading scorers along with teammate Tristan Aubry.

Son of head coach of the Canadian senior men’s team, Glenn Hoag, volleyball lies in Nicholas Hoag's DNA. Nicholas's older brother Christopher is also a volleyball player who is currently playing for the University of Calgary, in Canada, and practicing with their father on the Canadian Senior Team. His mother, Donna Kastelic, ends the cycle as she was one of the stars of Canada’s senior women’s team.

Although Nicholas has lived with the game since birth, he assures it was his choice to pursue the career in volleyball.

“I played a lot of sports when I was younger, but when I decided to play volleyball that was my choice." the 2-meter attacker said.

His father has been coach of Canada’s senior men’s team since 2006 and has signed a contract for the next two Olympic cycles, at least. Before that, Glenn Hoag coached professional teams in Europe, including Paris Volley in France, where he won the French Cup, European Champions Cup and French Championship. Even with his dad’s notable curriculum, Nicholas says he doesn’t feel the pressure.

“I think he just wants me to play well and to be a good player, so he pushes me hard, but I don’t think there’s much pressure."

Nicholas currently plays for the College de Sherbrooke, in Canada. Born in 1992, he still has one year on the Junior Men’s Team, but his plans for the future are already made. He hopes to continue defending his country on the Canadian senior team, coached by his father.

“That’s one of my dreams, to be coached by my dad and to be on the Senior team," Nicholas said.

Written by Helena Cabo Petry, senior student of Journalism at Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro and participant of the FIVB Program “Young Writers 4 Young Players.”