The Canadian beach volleyball pair consisting of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson secured a spot in the semifinals of the Montreal Elite16 tournament by defeating Latvia’s Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka with a score of 22-20, 21-18 in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson displayed superior blocking and digging skills compared to their opponents, advancing to face Thamela Galil and Victoria Tosta of Brazil in the upcoming semifinal match.
In a previous encounter during pool play, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson had emerged victorious against the Brazilian duo. They expressed readiness to analyze their opponents’ gameplay and leverage their strengths in the upcoming match. The Canadian pair, who had previously clinched the titles in 2023 and 2025 along with an Olympic silver medal, remain determined to pursue a third consecutive victory in the tournament.
Ontario’s Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett achieved a significant upset by defeating the top-ranked team of Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson in the men’s quarterfinals. The Canadian duo, ranked 39th globally, secured a spot in the semifinals after a solid performance at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Schachter and Pickett credited their success to consistent and effective gameplay, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a high level of performance.
In the upcoming semifinal match, Schachter and Pickett are set to face the Brazilian duo of Renato Andrew Lima de Carvalho and Andre Stein. The Canadian team is focused on maintaining their strong performance and strategic play in the next stage of the tournament. Fans can catch live coverage of the matches on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.