A duo from Waterloo Region is taking their roundnet talents all the way to the world championships in Belgium.

Cambridge’s Anastasia Novy, 30, and Waterloo’s Benjamin Pernfuss, 22, will represent Canada in next week's Roundnet World Championship in Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium.

Widely known as spikeball, the game gained popularity after debuting on the entrepreneur show Shark Tank.

Players compete in teams of two. Once the ball is served, teammates have up to three hits between them to return the ball to the net until it can’t be returned.

“Kinda like volleyball with the net on the ground,” Pernfuss told CTV News.

Pernfuss played roundnet for the first time on a beach in Cuba. He said he started to get serious with the sport at the start of the pandemic.

Novy, who works as a veterinarian in Cambridge, got into the sport after joining an intramural club at the University of Guelph. Novy said she played 1-on-1 with her husband to pass the time during the pandemic, and after a while, she started to get better.

Roundnet

“After a couple of years of practice, I started to think ‘ok yeah I’m pretty good at this’,” Novy said.

The two played with different partners in local tournaments before teaming up for national qualifying this past July. The pair will serve as the co-ed team for Canada, joining the national men’s and women’s teams in Belgium.

“[It's] something I never would have imagined a couple of years ago, and it’s a huge honour to represent your country,” Pernfuss said.

Fellow player Andrei Marinescu has watched the pair play up close. He believes their cohesion and skillset are what sets them apart.

“Stacy’s a great server, I’ve experienced that on my own skin. Ben has an all-around great game,” Marinescu said. “There are no real weaknesses in that team.”

In total, 33 countries will compete at the world championship with 24 playing in the co-ed division. Canada enters the event with the 6th seed. Pernfuss said the winning team walks away with a gold medal.

“It’s gone from that backyard game to a full-on professional sport. I’d consider spikeball players top-tier athletes.” Pernfuss said.

Pernfuss departs for Belgium on Sunday and Novy leaves on Monday.

Roundnet Canada is covering their meals and jerseys, but the players are left to cover the trip expenses.

Pernfuss set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the trip.

The event starts Sep. 8 with pool play, followed by knockout rounds.