Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, the Canadian team, completed their round-robin matches at the beach volleyball world championships in Mexico flawlessly, winning all three games. In their latest match on Monday, they defeated the Czech duo of Barbora Hermannová and Marie-Sára Štochlová with a score of 2-0 (21-17, 24-22).
After the No. 4-ranked duo out of Toronto and their 22nd-ranked Czech counterparts both earned victories over the Netherlands and Paraguay over the weekend, top spot in the Pool D standings was up for grabs in Monday’s match, although both squads were still guaranteed a spot in Wednesday’s Round of 32 regardless of the result.
After dominating the first set with a score of 21-17, the Canadians faced a challenging task to secure the win in the last set. This win allowed them to conclude the round-robin play with an impeccable record of winning all six sets.
Humana-Paredes successfully defended against three consecutive set points from the Czechs with her performance at the net. Wilkerson then secured the win with a block, giving them a 23-22 lead, followed by an ace that rolled over the net, resulting in a 24-22 victory.
WATCH | Humana-Paredes/Wilkerson vs. Czech Republic full match replay:
Featured VideoWatch Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson take on Barbora Hermannova and Marie-Sara Stochlova of the Czech Republic at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Apizaco, Mexico.
Humana-Paredes achieved a total of 19 attack points during the match, while Wilkerson singlehandedly surpassed the Czech Republic with 8 blocks compared to their 1. Hermannová led the Czech Republic team with a score of 17 points.
The Canadian pair’s opponent for the Round of 32 match has yet to be determined.
The Kitchener, Ont., native Pavan was also in action on Monday with Toronto’s Molly McBain, closing out Pool H play with a crucial 2-0 win (21-19, 21-12) against the No. 43-ranked pair of Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and Maria Gonzalez.
The Canadian duo, ranked 60th, faced initial setbacks in the tournament with a 2-0 loss to the Swiss and a 2-1 defeat against the Netherlands. However, their hopes were kept alive as they secured a victory on Monday.
WATCH | McBain/Pavan vs. Puerto Rico, full match replay:
Featured VideoWatch Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain take on Allanis Navas Sanchez and Maria Gonzalez of Puerto Rico at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico
In a tightly contested first set, Canada found themselves behind for most of the game. However, Pavan’s powerful spikes towards the end helped her team take the lead and win the set with a score of 21-19.
Pavan scored a total of 21 points in the match, while McBain managed to secure 16 points. Gonzalez was the top scorer for Puerto Rico with 14 points.
The Canadians dominated the second set, winning 21-12 and securing a spot in the tournament by finishing in third place in Pool H.
Pavan and McBain secured their spot in a lucky losers match on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET after finishing in third place. They will be playing against the No. 81 pair of Ariana Estefania Vilela Becerra and Karelys Simisterra Ortiz from Ecuador. The winner of this match will advance to the Round of 32 on Wednesday.
You can watch all the live coverage of the beach volleyball worlds on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app, and CBC Gem.
Schachter, Dearing win 2nd straight game
Sam Schachter from Richmond Hill, Ontario, represented Canada as the only participant in the men’s event. Alongside Daniel Dearing from Toronto, they achieved victory against Morocco’s Mohamed Abicha and Oussama El Azhari with a score of 2-0 (21-19, 21-10). This win marked their second consecutive victory, leading to an improved record of 2-1 in the round-robin stage.
Schachter provided the exclamation point in a 21-19 first set victory when he executed an impressive dig followed up by an emphatic spike to put Canada up 20-17.
WATCH | Schachter/Dearing vs. Morocco, full match replay:
Featured VideoWatch Canada’s Sam Schachter and Daniel Dearing take on Mohamed Abicha and Oussama El Azhari of Morocco at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Huamantla, Mexico.
Similar to Pavan and McBain, the Canadian male players faced no difficulties in the second round. Dearing contributed nine points out of his total of 17, leading his team to a 21-10 victory in the set. Abicha, on the other hand, scored 10 points for the winless Moroccan team.
The teams that emerge victorious in both the women’s and men’s competitions will secure a spot for their country in the Olympics held in Paris, along with the host nation, France. The remaining 22 positions in each tournament will be determined in June through a combination of Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Olympic rankings and different Continental Cup events.
The tournament will feature lucky loser matches on Tuesday and will culminate in the finals on Sunday.
Source: cbc.ca
