Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson of Toronto, Ontario are in the final four of the Olympic women’s beach volleyball tournament. On Wednesday, Canada defeated Daniela Alvarez Mendoza and Tania Moreno Mateeva of Spain, 21-18, 21-18 in the third of four quarterfinal matches in the tournament.
Wilkerson scored 17 points for Canada in the quarterfinal, while Humana-Paredes had 13 points. Wilkerson scored 14 of her 17 points on attack shots, while Humana-Paredes scored all 13 of her points off the attack.
In the semifinals, Canada will be facing Switzerland, specifically the Swiss duo of Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli. In Pool play, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson faced another Swiss women’s beach volleyball team, but lost 21-18, 13-21, 15-11 to Esmee Bobner and Zoe Verge-Depre. On Tuesday, Brunner and Huberli defeated the American duo of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng 21-18, 2-19 in the quarterfinals.
Like Brunner and Huberli, the Canadians have defeated an American team in the playoffs. In the round of 16, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson upset the second ranked team in the world, Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, 21-19, 21-18.
The other semifinal will have Brazil versus Australia. Brazil will be represented by Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Duda Santos Lisboa. Australia will be represented by Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy. Australia beat Switzerland’s Esmee Bobner and Zoe Verge-Depre 21-19, 16-21, and 15-12 in the quarterfinals, while Brazil beat Latvia’s Tina Laura Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova 21-16, 21-10 in the quarterfinals. The semifinals go Thursday, and the medal games go Friday.
