Bansley & Brandie win tough three-setters in Ostrava

Eight teams secured their spots in the women’s eighthfinals of the J&T Banka Ostrava Beach Open on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour by winning their pools on Thursday. One of them, Canada’s Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson had to win two tough three-setters along the way.

18th-seeded Bansley and Brandie started their path in Pool B with a 2-1 (21-17, 22-24, 15-10) victory over Italy’s Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth.

“This morning was our first time playing the Italians this year. For us, every match is important. It was actually the first match of the tournament that sort of sets the tone, so we wanted to come out, play our game and be consistent. I think we lost our focus a little at the end of the second set, but I’m proud of how we came back in the third, stuck together as a team and fought for that win,” Heather Bansley told Volleyball World.

The other Canadian pair in the pool, reigning world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes, also went through a tie-breaker against Dutch qualifiers Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam to make the pool final against their compatriots. The winners match produced yet another deciding third set, in which Bansley and Brandie dominated to claim a 2-1 (25-23, 14-21, 15-9) win.

“Any time you play your countrymen it’s going to be a tough match. I think everyone could feel the focus and intensity, because all four of us really wanted this win just for ourselves. We are very great teams, both of us wanting success, wanting the same goal. Today was just another opportunity for us to push each other and be our best. I am very proud that, just like we did this morning, Heather and I stuck together to close that first set, and even if things didn’t go our way in the second, we came into the third with new energy, ready to win no matter what happens,” Brandie Wilkerson said.

In another tight and interesting winners clash, USA’s Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes came back from a set down against home favourites Barbora Hermannova and Marketa Slukova to snatch a 2-1 (17-21, 21-15, 17-15) victory, denying a couple of opponent match points along the way, and top the final standings in Pool H.

All other pool winners cruised through the stage directly into the last 16 on two straight-set wins each.

Netherlands’ Sanne Keizer and Madelein Meppelink, seeded 13th, upset fourth-seeded Americans Alix Klineman and April Ross by 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) to finish first in Pool D.

Last Saturday’s Sochi silver medalists Tanja Huberli and Nina Betschart took the first place in Pool F after shutting out two German teams, while Russia’s Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina, who took the bronze last week at home, topped the standings in Pool G.

Top seeds Agatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda Santos Lisboa of Brazil won Pool A. Third-seeded Joana Heidrich and Anouk Verge-Depre of Switzerland topped Pool C. In Pool E, fifth-seeded Brazilians Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima did not lose a set.

The first and second runners-up of the eight pools are set to play in the first elimination round on Friday to determine the other eight eighthfinalists.

Quick links:
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour - Ostrava
Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
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