Playing in just their seventh international event as partners, the 37-year-old Pavan and the 25-year-old McBain won one of their three Pool H matches in Tlaxcala, finishing third in their pool. On Tuesday, the Canadians remained in the city for the ‘lucky loser’ round and progressed with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-10) win over Ecuadorians Karelys Simisterra and Ariana Vilela.
“It took us until the first technical timeout to understand how the match was going to go,” Pavan explained. “From that point forward, we had a very good rhythm and we were digging a lot more balls, so it was just about remaining steady. To beat that team and to win that game efficiently is important to prepare for tomorrow.”
In the Round of 32, Pavan, who won the World Championships in 2019, and McBain, who’s competing in the event for the first time in her career, will meet Americans Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss, who finished first in Pool B.
“Every pool winner here is really strong, so the next round will be a very tough match,” McBain commented. “We’re going to prepare in the best way we can and try and be ready for it. The atmosphere here has been amazing, it’s probably the best I’ve ever played at.”
Beach Volleyball World Championships - Match Schedule and Results
