On the day before the much anticipated serve-off of Volleyball Nations League 2026, members of the Canadian and the Brazilian women’s national teams took part in interactive events with fans in the host cities of Quebec and Brasilia, respectively, dubbed VNL Open Court. Canadian stars Abagayle Guezen, Anna Smrek, Brie Fransen and Kiera Van Ryk attended the pre-competition event in Quebec City, while Bruna Rocha Costa, Natalia Araujo (Natinha), Sabrina Machado and assistant coach Helia Souza (Fofao) represented the home team at VNL Open Court in the Brazilian capital.
VNL 2026
Canadian and Brazilian players meet fans on eve of VNL games at home
Van Ryk, Fransen, Smrek, Guezen, Natinha, Sabrina, Bruna and assistant coach Fofao take part in VNL 2026 Open Court
Published 06:47, 03 Jun 2026
Bruna, Sabrina and Natinha show off their dancing skills during the VNL Open Court with the fans in Brasilia (source: CBV)
- Watch the Volleyball Nations League 2026 on VBTV
An adorable group of schoolchildren were the ones asking the hard questions in Canada about the life and the challenges of a volleyball international.
Asked about how she is coping with the nervousness before and during a match, the youngest of the four attending Canadian national team members – 20-year-old outside hitter Abagayle Guezen – said:
“I used to get pretty nervous before a game, but now I’ve become pretty comfortable as I got closer with my teammates. I know that they have the same feelings of excitement as I do before a game, so it’s a pretty good feeling to know we are all going into it together. When we are in another country, and there is a lot of people watching us play and cheering against us, I do this little thing – I try to pretend that they are cheering for me, so it feels like they are all on my team. It usually helps me play better.”
22-year-old opposite Anna Smrek shared that “getting to come back and train with the girls, meeting everyone and becoming close to them, and representing the country is an amazing feeling”; and that playing on the international stage is taking that next step in her career. She also answered a kid’s question about finding motivation in difficult moments.
“It can be hard sometimes, as there are so many ups and downs and different challenges that the sport presents,” said Smrek. “I like knowing that I have the support and confidence from my teammates, but I also have mental exercises that I do sometimes, like breathing work, quick reset in my brain for the next ball. You can’t change what happened in the past, you can only try to control the next point moving forward.”
One of the kids was curious whether the players have the time to visit places in the countries where they go to compete.
“That’s a very good question!” 27-year-old opposite Kiera Van Ryk answered. “It depends on our schedule. When we are in competition, we spend our time at the gym and at the hotel, but once in a while we have a day off, when we can go and visit some places in the city. Usually, we try to take advantage of those times to have a mental reset and a physical rest.”
Van Ryk also answered a question about which tournament is the most difficult.
“Each tournament comes with its individual difficulties, but also with its own excitement. VNL is difficult because we have three separate weeks of back-to-back games. So, we are going for a long period of time playing a lot of high-level volleyball. For me, if you have a dream, if you want to work towards something, it’s not going to be easy, but to be able to do something that is difficult and succeed is enjoyable and satisfying.”
Asked about the toughest opponents, 28-year-old setter Brie Fransen said:
“For me, Brazil is the most difficult team to play against. I played in Brazil professionally for a few years and the fans there are so passionate! They love volleyball really, really passionately. When we play against Brazil in Brazil, every single person in the arena cares so much that Brazil wins, so we really feel that no one wants us to win right now at all.”
“But being able to play at home has its own special place in our hearts. It feels reassuring being here and knowing that we are going to be backed by Canada this week,” Van Ryk added in regards to the upcoming VNL event in Quebec.
When it was showtime in Brazil on Tuesday evening, the VNL Open Court event delivered a real party atmosphere to the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, with lots of music and dancing involved, but also, of course, with a lot of serious questions from the attending fans.
One of the new faces on the national team this season – 31-year-old setter Bruna – spoke about the feeling of being called up for the first time and about her expectations of stepping onto the court in the Brazilian capital.
“It’s a dream come true,” she said. “I’ve spent my entire career preparing for this moment. And now that it’s here, I’m so excited to see the arena full and feel the fans’ support. I’ve spent the last few weeks mentally preparing myself to experience this moment.”
The setter also emphasized that, even more so now that she is on the national team, the mental aspect of the game has an even greater impact on her performance level, both in training and in matches.
“Here in the VNL we have the best volleyball in the world, so the mental aspect is very important,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s the mind that controls the body, so the ability to be prepared to face challenges, to withstand pressure and perform in decisive moments is even more important than the technical, tactical or physical aspects. The mental aspect is the foundation of everything, and even more so for me, who is experiencing this moment for the first time.”
30-year-old opposite Sabrina, who is back on the national team after two years, spoke about the same subject and went further, emphasizing that mental preparation should be worked on daily by each player as part of their training routine.
“We do mental work daily,” the striker revealed. “It’s part of our life as athletes and it doesn’t only happen when we’re with the national team. We have to work on this area all the time. It’s as important, or even more important, than the technical aspect. I’m very excited to return to the national team and I hope to live up to the expectations.”
Olympic medalist Natinha, who is also returning after being absent from the national team in 2025, commented on another aspect of her preparation, saying that she frequently uses videos before matches, both to absorb positive points from other liberos and to improve her own game.
“I get a lot of inspiration from watching videos,” the 29-year-old athlete said. “Not just videos of myself, but also of other liberos I admire, like Fabi and Camila Brait. I also try to pay attention to my own videos to see what I can correct in my game and where I can improve.”
A newcomer to the Brazilian coaching staff, Olympic champion Fofao, who was invited by coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes to work as an assistant after having managed the Brazilian U17 team in 2023 and 2024, commented on the opportunity to have a new experience wearing the green-and-yellow jersey.
“Everything in life is a process,” she said. “And for me, it’s a privilege to be able to go through all of this. I wasn’t expecting the invitation to be here with the girls. What motivates me is the ability to contribute. I’ve only received affection from them since I arrived, and that really encourages me. It’s a different moment, and my intention is to help and bring a different perspective to the team. This generation will bring us a lot of joy, and I’m very excited to be a part of it.”
