The dynamic Canadian beach volleyball pair comprising Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson secured their chance for a third consecutive victory in 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. The Canadians showcased superior blocking and digging skills, propelling them into the semifinals scheduled for Sunday against Thamela Galil and Victoria Tosta of Brazil. The Brazilian duo overcame the American team of Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg in a closely contested match with a final score of 21-17, 13-21, 18-16.
Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson previously clinched the titles in 2023 and 2025, securing an Olympic silver in between. Humana-Paredes expressed their strategy of reviewing the video footage of the Brazilian team to capitalize on their strengths and exploit the weaknesses observed during their previous encounter in the pool play round.
In a remarkable upset on the same day, the Ontario pair Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett advanced to the men’s semifinals of the FIVB Beach Pro Tournament by defeating the world’s top-ranked team, Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson, with a score of 2-0 (21-19, 21-17). Schachter from Richmond Hill and Pickett from Wiarton also triumphed over Austria’s Alexander Horst and Paul Pascariuc earlier in the competition.
Reflecting on their victory over the top-seeded team, Schachter credited their consistent and effective gameplay, highlighting the importance of fundamental volleyball skills at a high level. The Canadian duo is set to face Renato Andrew Lima de Carvalho and Andre Stein from Brazil in the upcoming semifinal match on Sunday morning.