Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson have further distanced themselves from a disappointing finish at the beach volleyball world championships a few months ago.
The Canadians opened a new season earning a silver medal at the Saquarema Elite tournament in Brazil as Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz of the United States prevailed 21-15, 21-15 on Sunday.
“We just look at each other and trust each other every single time,” Cruz stated in a World Volleyball story. “It doesn’t matter what the score is, it’s always 0-0 for us. And we just trust our training and know that when we get out on the court, we’ll be able to compete. It’s all about trust and all about our training.”
The Americans edged Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson 25-24 on the attack, posted three blocks and scored 14 points off their opponent’s errors.
It was the fourth gold medal in nine tournaments Brasher and Cruz have played in Brazil, each time in a different city. They were victorious in Uberlândia in 2023, Brasília last year and a month ago in João Pessoa last month.
Brasher and Cruz went undefeated in Saquarema and have captured 12 medals in their past 15 international events.
For the Toronto duo of Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson, it was their first loss at the event and an impressive early-season finish following a quarterfinal loss at worlds to Rebecca Cavalcante and Carol Solberg in November after not dropping a set previously at last year’s tournament. The Canadians are the reigning Olympic silver medallists.
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson said the loss provided them something to build on.
“Every time we play, we have lessons learned … the ups and the downs,” Humana-Paredes said in November. “It’s going to make us better in the long run.”
Earlier Sunday, they gained a measure of revenge against the Brazilians, pulling out a 18-21, 21-17, 15-12 decision in the semifinals.
“It’s always great to be back playing in Brazil,” Humana-Paredes told VBTV after the match, “even if the crowd is not cheering for you, you feel the passion.
“I feel that game was so hard. They played amazing and it’s always a battle against this team. We had to bring our A game and I’m glad we did.”
The Brazilian duo dropped the bronze-medal contest to Switzerland’s Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli in their first match since August 2024. Brunner returned to competition after becoming a mother.
The next Elite event of the Beach Pro Tour will run April 29 to May 3 in Brasilia.
WATCH: Canadians drop world quarterfinal in November:
Women’s Beach Volleyball World Championships quarterfinals: CAN Humana-Paredes/Wilkerson vs. BRA
