in this Aug. 4, 2019, file photo, Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan, fom left, celebrate after winning women's gold medal match against Brazil's team at the Beach Volley Worldtour Major Series, in Vienna, Austria. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)AP Photo/Ronald Zak
AP Photo/Ronald Zak

Pavan and Humana-Paredes win bronze on FIVB World Tour in Gstaad

Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes won bronze on the FIVB World Tour on Sunday in Gstaad, Switzerland.

They defeated Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka of Latvia with a 2-1 win in 21-13, 13-21, 17-15. The Canadian duo took the opener before the Latvians rallied back in the second, forcing the third and deciding set.

“The Latvian team is a really, really strong team [and] they had a great season,” Pavan said after the match. “We knew that they would score points but we knew we just needed to be patient, keep fighting, and take advantage of the opportunities when we got them.”

Earlier in the day, Pavan and Humana-Paredes had their eight-set win streak ended in the semifinal match against Brazilian duo Agatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda Santos “Duda” Lisboa. The Brazilians took a 21-13, 21-18 straight-sets victory for a spot in the gold medal match against fellow Brazilians Ana Patricia Sila Ramos and Rebecca Cavalcanti Barbosa Silva.

  • Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan captured bronze at the World Tour event in Gstaad, Switzerland on Sunday July 11, 2021. (Photo by: FIVB)
  • Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan captured bronze at the World Tour event in Gstaad, Switzerland on Sunday July 11, 2021. (Photo by: FIVB)
  • Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan captured bronze at the World Tour event in Gstaad, Switzerland on Sunday July 11, 2021. (Photo by: FIVB)
  • Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan captured bronze at the World Tour event in Gstaad, Switzerland on Sunday July 11, 2021. (Photo by: FIVB)

The pair will leave their final event with a hard-fought victory and bronze medal on the Beach Volleyball World Tour before heading to Tokyo 2020.

“This journey is not perfect, and what I think is really important is that we grind together and we fight through those difficult moments, she said. “Perfection is impossible and if we can stay together and fight for every single point, we will be successful.”