Toronto’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson (ranked 7th in the world) have booked a spot in Saturday’s playoff round at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Paris, France. The Canadians posted a record of 1-2 in the main draw, facing off against top-tier talent.
On Thursday, in their first match of the tournament, Melissa/Brandie went up against fifth-ranked Stam/Schoon of the Netherlands. The Canadian duo lost in two sets (9-21, 18-21), committing eight errors in the contest.
Then, on Friday, Melissa/Brandie had a shot at redemption, staring down fourth-ranked Carol/Barbara of Brazil. But the Canadians couldn’t quite get it done, dropping a two-setter (18-21, 18-21). Match stats here.
In their final contest of the main draw, on Friday afternoon, the Canadians had one last chance to make the playoff round, versus Agatha/Rebecca of Brazil. This time, the Canadians took care of business, winning out in two sets (21-13, 21-18).
With that, the Canadians had just enough to qualify for the playoffs. Next up, on Saturday at 3:00 a.m. ET (9:00 a.m. local), Melissa/Brandie will square up with 16th-ranked Muller/Tillman of Germany. The winner advances to the quarter final.
It might be worth setting an early alarm for this one: Melissa/Brandie will be looking for a bit of revenge. Last month, the Canadians dropped a tough two-setter to Muller/Tillman in the quarterfinals at the Hamburg Elite16. Melissa/Brandie have been one of the most exciting teams to watch on tour this year, climbing the world rankings with a string of top-five finishes and a breakthrough win on home sand at the Montreal Elite16.
This Paris Elite16 features the absolute best women’s volleyball teams in the world, including top-ranked Duda/Ana Patricia of Brazil, second-ranked Hughes/Cheng of the U.S. and third-ranked Kloth/Nuss of the U.S., all of whom already earned a spot in the quarters.
Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain competed in the qualifier in Paris, but failed to make the main draw, posting a 1-1 record. This team will have a chance to rebound at the upcoming Beach Volleyball World Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico, from October 6-14.
