Winners of back-to-back 2017 FIVB World Tour events in March at Shepparton and Sydney, Australia, Gordon and Saxton qualified for the 2017 FIVB World Championships via the NORCECA continental process. Both players will be appearing in their first world championships as Gordon started competing on the FIVB World Tour in 2014 and Saxton in 2016. Saxton’s older brother (Ben) is a Canadian Olympian and is competing with Chaim Schalk in the Vienna world championships.