Melissa & Brandie Snatch First Olympic Final Spot

The Canadians survive Swiss match point in set two to win the first semifinal in the tie-breaker.

A Hard-Fought Battle

Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson are the first finalists and, hence, the first team to secure a spot on the Olympic beach volleyball podium at Paris 2024. In Thursday’s first semifinal, the fourth-seeded Canadians denied an opponent match point in the second set to mount a solid comeback against Switzerland’s Tanja Huberli & Nina Brunner.

Block Advantage and Unforced Errors

The block was Canada’s main weapon on the way to their 2-1 (14-21, 22-20, 15-12) victory. It brought them seven points, all authored by Brandie, against only four on the Swiss side. In key moments, the North Americans also capitalized on the opponents’ unforced errors to edge ahead in the game.

Key Players’ Contributions

Brandie was the best scorer of the match with 25 points, also including an ace. With two serving points of her own, Melissa finished with 12 points. The serving was much more prolific on Switzerland’s side. Huberli put away three aces in addition to four kill blocks towards a 21-point tally, while Brunner fired four aces and finished with 19 points.

Set-by-Set Analysis

First Set: Melissa & Brandie took the early lead but Huberli & Brunner caught up and dominated with their offense and serves, cruising to a convincing 21-14 close.

Second Set: The lead changed hands several times. Huberli & Brunner reached match point at 20-19, but Melissa & Brandie reacted with three in a row to snatch the set at 22-20.

Tie-Breaker: The Swiss recovered from Canada’s early run but three points in a row after 11-11 brought in match point for the North Americans, which soon turned into a 15-12 victory.

Post-Match Reactions

“We knew it was going to be hard-fought. Switzerland is incredible. We didn’t come out strong, but we still had heart, grit, and perseverance,” said Melissa. “We’re right on track and we haven’t played our best volleyball yet. Tomorrow is the day to bring it out.”

“We came for it all! We can stand with our heads proud that we have that opportunity for a medal, but we won’t lose sight that the gold is our goal,” Melissa added.

Next Up

Melissa & Brandie’s opponent in Friday’s final will be determined in the second semifinal between Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda) of Brazil and Australia’s Mariafe Artacho Del Solar & Taliqua Clancy.