Chris Tamas Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Chris Tamas Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Fighting Illini volleyball player Taylor de Boer earned a silver medal with Team Canada at the U23 NORCECA Pan American Cup held in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. De Boer, a redshirt sophomore at the University of Illinois, helped Canada reach its first-ever final and secure its best finish in the tournament’s history.
The Canadian squad lost to the United States in Friday’s championship match. The silver marks Canada’s inaugural medal at this level of competition.
During pool play, Canada finished with one win and two losses before advancing through the knockout rounds. In the quarterfinals, they defeated the Dominican Republic in five sets (25-20, 19-25, 12-25, 25-21, 15-9). Canada then overcame defending champion Cuba—who had been undefeated—in a semifinal reverse sweep (21-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-9), where de Boer led her team with 16 kills.
In the final against the U.S., de Boer contributed seven kills for Canada.
De Boer will stay in Mexico to compete in the Women’s Senior Pan American Cup. The Canadian team is scheduled to face Colombia on Sunday and will also play Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic during pool play next week.
After her international commitments conclude, de Boer is expected to return to Champaign as Illinois prepares for its season opener against South Dakota State on August 29 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
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