The Canadian beach volleyball pair comprising 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 on Saturday. Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson, who previously won the 2023 and 2025 titles, are aiming for a three-peat in this tournament.

In the quarterfinal match, the Canadians showcased superior blocking and digging skills compared to their opponents. They will now face Thamela Galil and Victoria Tosta of Brazil in the upcoming semifinal round. Meanwhile, the Brazilian duo defeated the American team of Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg with a score of 21-17, 13-21, 18-16 to secure their spot in the semifinals.

Earlier in the day, the Ontario duo of Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett caused a major upset by advancing to the men’s semifinals after defeating the world No. 1 team of Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson with a score of 2-0 (21-19, 21-17). Schachter and Pickett, ranked 39th globally, also eliminated Austria’s Alexander Horst and Paul Pascariuc in a previous match.

Schachter attributed their success to playing solid and consistent volleyball at a high level rather than relying on flashy plays. They are set to face Brazil’s Renato Andrew Lima de Carvalho and Andre Stein in the semifinals scheduled for Sunday.

Fans can catch live coverage of the matches on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Both the Canadian women’s and men’s teams are gearing up for intense showdowns as they aim to clinch victories in their respective semifinal matches.