Canada's Brandie Wilkerson holds the ball during a quarter final game against Australia at the Elite Beach Pro Tour, on Saturday, July 9, 2022, in Gstaad, Switzerland. Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson are on to the quarterfinals of the beach volleyball world championships.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Keystone, Peter Schneider
APIZACO, Mexico – Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson are on to the quarterfinals of the beach volleyball world championships.
The duo from Toronto defeated Switzerland’s Esmee Bobner and Zoe Verge-Depre 2-0 (21-14, 21-11) in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson will next face fifth-ranked Australian duo Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar on Friday for a spot in the women’s semifinals.
The No.4-ranked pairing in the world entered Thursday’s match after a 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) win over Finland’s Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lahti-Liukkonen in the round of 32 on Wednesday.
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson, who haven’t lost a set in these world championships, breezed through Pool D with a perfect 3-0 record to make it into the playoff rounds.
They are the lone Canadians remaining at the event after Sarah Pavan of Kitchener, Ont., and Toronto’s Molly McBain were ousted in the round of 32 on Wednesday, and Sam Schachter of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Toronto’s Dan Dearing fell in the round of 32 on the men’s side.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2023.
