Two Canadian beach volleyball duos were eliminated in the playoffs at the Beach Pro Tour Challenge on Saturday in Edmonton, with both teams falling in straight sets in the city’s Ice District.
Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec saw their run come to end in the round of 16 with a hard-fought 21-23, 16-21 loss to Switzerland’s Böbner Esmée and Vergé-Dépré Zoé, leaving them with a ninth-place finish as the top Canadian team.
Earlier in the day, fellow Canadians Sarah Pavan and Molly McBain suffered a 12-21, 14-21 loss in the round of 18 against Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk and Rebecca Cavalcanti Barbosa Silva, who also defeated them last week at the stop in Espinho, Portugal.
McBain, who teamed up with two-time Olympian Pavan this year, said they are making progress in their new partnership.
Pavan and McBain will have a chance to bounce back next week at the Elite16 event in Montreal, where they will be competing in the main draw against the top teams in the world. Bansley and Bukovec will be competing in the qualifiers in Montreal.
Action in Edmonton continues with the semifinals and medal matches on Sunday. Watch live coverage on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
The Elite 16 event in Montreal will also be streamed live, with competition kicking off on Thursday.
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