The Canadian duo of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson clinched the bronze medal at the Montreal Elite16 tournament, held on home turf. Despite a challenging match, the 2024 Olympic silver medalists managed to defeat Germany’s Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann with scores of 20-22, 21-12, and 18-16, securing their spot on the podium.
Wilkerson showcased an impressive performance with 32 attack points, 5 block points, and a crucial serve point, while Humana-Paredes contributed 9 attack points. The game experienced a temporary halt due to adverse weather conditions but resumed thereafter.
Earlier in the day, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson faced a setback in the semifinals against Brazil’s Thamela Galil and Victoria Tosta, losing with scores of 21-19, 20-22, and 15-7. Their dream of achieving a third consecutive victory was dashed, leading them to compete against Germany’s Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann for the bronze medal later in the day.
In past editions, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson had claimed the Montreal titles in 2023 and 2025, with an Olympic silver medal obtained during the Paris Games in between.
On the men’s side, Canada’s Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett staged a remarkable comeback to secure the bronze medal in the men’s event. Despite a slow start with a 16-21 loss in the opening set against Norway’s Hendrik Mol and Mathias Berntsen, the Ontario pair bounced back strongly to win the next two sets 28-26 and 15-12, earning their first joint podium finish at home.
Schachter and Pickett caused an upset by defeating the top-ranked team of Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson in the men’s semifinals during Saturday’s FIVB Beach Pro Tour event. Although they fell short in the semifinal match on Sunday morning to Brazil’s Renato Andrew Lima de Carvalho and André Loyola Stein with a score of 2-1 (21-12, 16-21, 16-14), their bronze medal victory was a significant achievement.
Fans can watch the full replay of Canada’s bronze medal win in the 2026 World Volleyball Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 Montreal between Canada and Norway.
