A pair of Pandas helped Canada punch their ticket to the 2028 Summer Olympics, as head coach Carolyn O’Dwyer and alumni Abby Guezen helped lead the Red and White to a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo on Saturday night.
It will mark the fourth time the Canadian Women have qualified for the Summer Olympics, and first time since 1996 in Atlanta. Guezen finished the final match with four kills, nine digs, and one ace, as the Sherwood Park native caps off an unforgettable season in which she was named the 2026 U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year in May. Guezen and O’Dwyer, who spent the summer as an assistant coach with the Senior National Team, led the Pandas to a U SPORTS Championship last March, as well as a second consecutive Canada West title.
Prior to securing an Olympic berth, Canada captured their first ever NORCECA Continental Championship, defeating the Americans in the final on Wednesday. Canada also advanced to the Volleyball Nationals League Finals for the first time ever in July, in what is likely the best summer for the Canadian Women on record. Guezen was also named Best Receiver of the NORCECA Continental Championship.
This summer marked the second year she had competed with the Canadian national team, which came on the heels of the outside hitter winning every individual award in U SPORTS in 2025/26. Next month, Guezen will begin her professional career with Chieri ’76 Volleyball in Serie A1 in Italy.
Prior to her tenure as the head coach of Pandas Volleyball, O’Dwyer spent three years working with Volleyball Canada as the head coach of their NextGen program. In three seasons leading the Pandas, O’Dwyer owns a 92-17 record, two conference titles and one national championship.
O’Dwyer and the Pandas will return to Saville Community Sports Centre on November 6th, as they host the Trinity Western Spartans.