Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes needed just three tournaments to win their first title as partners and it was a special one, as the Brazilians took gold in front of their home fans at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour João Pessoa Elite16 on Sunday.

The two topped the podium at the Tambaú Beach, which featured another Brazilian duo, the one of veterans Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima, in second place and American qualifiers Kimberly Hildreth and Teegan Van Gunst taking bronze.

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Thamela, 24, and Victoria, 25, were dominant in the gold medal match, keeping Talita and Taiana under control to secure a solid two-set (21-14, 21-14) victory. The Brazilians started their campaign in João Pessoa with a defeat, but then never looked back, getting sweeps in their next six matches on their way to the top of the podium.

“We know how hard it is to get here,” Thamela reflected. “I’d like to dedicate this gold medal to my dad, he’s my biggest inspiration in life. It’s a very special victory for us and I’m just feeling super grateful for everyone who cheered on us and supported us.”

The title in Brazil confirms the excellent start of partnership for the two, who joined forces for the second half of the season and besides the gold in João Pessoa also claimed bronze at the Hamburg Elite16 in just their second tournament together.

“I’m so happy," Victoria reacted. "We were a little bit tired today and had to find something extra. It’s really special for us to win our first gold here, at home, and it shows we’re going in the right direction. We’ll keep fighting for our dreams and our goals.”

Hildreth and Van Gunst complete the podium

The bronze medal match in João Pessoa also reunited teams from the same country and had Hildreth and Van Gunst prevailing in two sets (21-18, 21-14) over compatriots Lexy Denaburg and Deahna Kraft to finish third and secure their first medal in an Elite 16 event.

The two, who had won a pair of silvers at the Futures level in 2023, were rewarded by their incredible campaign in João Pessoa, which started on Wednesday’s qualifier and ended with seven wins in eight matches over five days.

The Beach Pro Tour will host another Elite16 event in Brazil in two weeks, with Rio de Janeiro welcoming the top teams on the planet from November 6-10.

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