Successful reunion between the Montreal public and the World Volleyball Elite

The defending champions of the Beach Pro Tour de Montréal were looking forward to finding the Canadian public, and the reunion took place under the sign of success, Thursday evening, at Park Jean-Drapeau. Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes won their first game in two rounds against the Dutch Mila Konink and Raïsa Schoon, in front of a high-coated crowd.

The Canadian women were back on Montreal sand a few 24 months after their triumph in the summer of 2023. For this second event-after an appointment failed in 2024, for lack of funding-the beach was moved a little further north, in the pin bend of the famous Gilles-Villeneuve circuit.

Montreal has not disappointed! It was so pleasant, the atmosphere was electric, reported Humana-Paredes, after victory. You could hear family and friends, it was great to be back here.

She and her partner Brandie Wilkerson quickly amazed the gallery in front of a platform of 3,200 seats, specially built. The Olympic vice-champions offered a whole demonstration during the first round, which they completed in just under 15 minutes, under the encouragement of the crowd.

The Dutch had however offered good opposition at the start of the commitment and led 11-6 to the first break. But the Canadian women then started like a steamroller, winning 15 of the next 16 points.

I think Melissa and I are really good not to think too much about the score. We know what we have to do. We know what to focus on, said Wilkerson. It is a sport based on the experience, so we try to rely on our experience to know that we will still have time to put things in place. We’re going to work hard and we want to win. The match is not over as long as it is not over.

Wilkerson was particularly formidable with his nets with the net and completely destabilized the opposing attack.

The game was tighter in the second commitment and the Dutch women had the advance 14-11 and were in a position to force the holding of an ultimate round. But the variety in the game’s games of the crowd favorites has created many concerns to the Europeans, often taken over by an attack on the option of Wilkerson.

The two Ontario volleyball players will conclude their group phase on Friday against the Brazilian and German duos. The Germans defeated the Brazilians earlier during the day and are therefore tied at the top of group D.

The first position team accesses directly to the next step, while the second and third compete for a pass.

CA-NA-DA!

Canadian amateurs were invited early to attend the first match of the duo day formed by Marie-Alex Bélanger and Lea Mockhouse. They lost against the Austrian sisters Dorina and Ronja Klinger.

She was facing another sorority in the evening, that of Anouk and Zoé Vergé-Dépré de la Suisse. An imposing challenge since the Swiss have a lot of international experience. The eldest, Anouk, received bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games, while the younger Zoé participated in those in Paris. They team up.

The Canadian women were nevertheless the first to attack, offering game inspired from the first round, on the way to a gain of 21-18.

Bélanger was effective in the net, succeeding in eight against. The former Carabins of the University of Montreal recently carried out the transfer of interior volleyball to beach volleyball. A transition that takes place without sand in the gear, to see its ease on the ground.

Switzerland responded with Aplomb to the second commitment, to force the holding of an ultimate round, where the Montreal public had his say.

The crowd had fun cutting the word CANADAby synchronizing each LOGATOME with the touches of the Canadian team. CA Upon receipt, Na to the option, and AND! during a smash hoped.

The strategy worked on several occasions and seemed to have given energy to the Canadian women. However, they lost 15-13 during the ultimate round.

It clearly helped us in key moments, it was as if we had another player on the field!

This duel brought to the limit, however, gives them a precious point, which they put in the bank, in the same way as the experience acquired.

We were much less hesitant than in the first gameA Analysé Lea Monkhouse. Our service was much better, and honestly, there were lots of good things in all aspects of the game on which we can build.

We missed a beautiful [occasion]we are disappointed with the result, but we are happy with how we rebounded in the second matchadded Bélanger. What we learned today is to keep the focus on us. There are tactical points to revise, but it will especially be confident and controlled and get out strongly.

They will play tomorrow against Daniela Álvarez and Tania Moreno, who are not sisters, but who represented Spain together at the last Olympic Games.

On the men’s side, the Schachter-Pickett duo was rubbing the world champions, the Czechs Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner.

The Canadians did not seem bad at all, but nevertheless dropped Pavilion 21-15 and 21-17.