Montréal's Home Team Ran Brazil Off the Sand, 21-12 and 21-12 🏐
Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson opened the Montréal Elite16 with two of the most lopsided sets of the day, and they are 2-0 in a pool worth winning outright.
Parc Jean-Drapeau got the version of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson it bought tickets for. The Canadians opened pool play Thursday against Brazil's Ana Patrícia and Carol Horta and won it 21-12, 21-12.
They outscored the Brazilians 26-18 on attack points and 8-1 on serve, per the Canadian Press.
Two Wins, and the Pool Winner Skips a Round
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson followed with a 21-13, 21-16 win over Lithuania's Paulikiene and Raupelyte. That is 2-0 in Pool A. Thâmela and Victoria of Brazil are also 2-0 after beating Ana Patrícia and Carol Horta 2-1 in the late window.
Format matters here. Sixteen teams, four pools of four. Pool winners go straight into Saturday's quarterfinals, while second and third have to survive the round of 12 first. Topping the pool is worth an entire match.
Be Careful How You Say Three-Peat
The pair have won both previous Beach Pro Tour stops held in Montréal, in 2023 and 2025. There was no Montréal event in 2024. They are 12-1 in matches played in this city, per Volleyball World.
Call it a three-peat if you like, but be precise about what it is. Three consecutive editions, not three consecutive years.
The Americans Are Alive, and Sweden Is a Problem
Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher, five days off a third straight Manhattan Beach Open title, are 2-0 in Pool B after beating Quiggle and Loreen 21-15, 23-21 and then Germany's Müller and Tillmann 17-21, 21-19, 17-15. Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft opened 21-12, 21-13 over Verena and Thainara.
On the men's side Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson are 2-0 in Pool A, and one of those wins was a straight-sets handling of Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh. The Swedes won the European championship in Poland last week and clinched an LA28 berth doing it.
Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger opened 21-18, 21-17 over Evans and Shaw. Norway's Anders Mol and Christian Sørum, who have their own Montréal streak going, took care of Pascariuc and Horst in two.
Pool play finishes Friday. Medal matches are Sunday, and the Canadians have won both finals they have ever played in this building.
