The duo from the Waterloo region will carry their roundnet talents to the World Championships in Belgium.
Cambridge’s Anastasia Novi, 30, and Waterloo’s Benjamin Perfus, 22, will represent Canada at next week’s Roundnet World Championships in Houthalen-Herchteren, Belgium.
Popularly known as Spikeball, the game became popular after debuting on the entrepreneurial show Shark Tank.
Players compete in teams of two. Once the ball is served, teammates must take up to three hits to get the ball back into the net until it can no longer be returned.
“It’s like volleyball with the net on the ground,” Pernfuss told CTV News.
Pernfuss played round net for the first time on a beach in Cuba. He said he started getting serious about sports at the start of the pandemic.
Nobby, who works as a veterinarian in Cambridge, got into the sport after joining an intramural club at the University of Guelph. Novy played her one-on-one with her husband to kill her time during her pandemic, but she said she began to recover after a while.
Anastasia Novi, 30, and Waterloo’s Benjamin Pernfuss, 22, are on their way to the Round Net World Championships. (Tyler Kellaher/CTV News Kitchener)“After several years of practice, I’m pretty good at this,” he came to think.
The two played with different partners in local tournaments before teaming up for the national qualifiers this July. join the
“[It’s] It was unimaginable a few years ago and it is a great honor to represent your country,” said Pernfuss.
Fellow player Andrey Marinescu has seen the pair play up close. He believes their cohesion and skill set set them apart.
“Stacy is a great server. “That team has no real weaknesses.”
A total of 33 countries will compete in the World Championships, and 24 will play in the co-ed division. Canada will enter the event with her sixth seed. According to Pernfuss, the winning team will receive a gold medal.
“I went from backyard games to full-blown professional sports. I think spikeball players are first-class athletes,” said Perunfuss.
Pernfuss leaves for Belgium on Sunday and Novy leaves on Monday.
Roundnet Canada covers their meals and jerseys, but players must cover their travel expenses.
Pernfuss launched a GoFundMe page to help fund the trip.
The event kicks off in the pool on September 8, followed by a knockout round.
