The initial phase of pool matches for the women`s main draw commenced with intense tie-breakers.
American duo Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg delivered the inaugural major upset in the women`s main draw at the Rio de Janeiro Elite on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. In a riveting Pool B encounter, they overcame Brazil`s Carol Solberg and Rebecca Cavalcanti, currently ranked second in the FIVB World Ranking, thus securing their advancement to the next round. This victory was part of a thrilling opening day of pool play on Thursday, which saw numerous matches decided in three sets.
The 14th-seeded Donlin and Denaburg staged a remarkable comeback, winning two consecutive sets in overtime for a 2-1 (17-21, 23-21, 20-18) triumph against the 11th-seeded Brazilian favorites, Carol and Rebecca. Donlin was a force at the net, contributing six kill blocks to her match-high 36 points, while Denaburg added 15 points, including three aces. Carol topped her team`s score sheet with 31 points, featuring three aces and four blocks. On Friday, the American pair will vie for the top spot in their pool and a direct entry into the round of 12 against Latvia`s Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova, the world`s third-ranked team and second seed, who advanced after their Dutch opponents, Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon, withdrew due to injury.
Pool F witnessed another American duo, 18th-seeded qualifiers Corinne Quiggle and Chloe Loreen, achieve a 2-1 (21-19, 16-21, 15-11) upset against Brazil`s seasoned Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima, who were seeded seventh. Quiggle and Loreen are set to face Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalists Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, who secured a 2-0 (21-18, 21-13) victory over Polish qualifiers Natalia Okla and Urszula Lunio. The match between Taiana Lima & Talita and Okla & Lunio will determine third place in the pool, crucial for remaining in the competition.
Continuing the series of USA-Brazil matchups, Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw, champions of last week`s Joao Pessoa Elite, earned a 2-1 (21-12, 20-22, 15-13) victory over Vitoria Rodrigues and Hegeile Almeida. The other pool match also went to a decisive third set, where fourth-seeded Italians Valentina Gottardi and Reka Orsi Toth, recent winners of the Hamburg Elite, rallied for a 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-7) win against Dutch qualifiers Wies Bekhuis and Emi van Driel.
In Pool A, Austria`s Dorina Klinger and Ronja Klinger recovered from an opening set loss to defeat Spanish Olympians Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno 2-1 (19-21, 22-20, 15-8). Meanwhile, the world`s top-ranked team, Brazil`s Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes, delivered a dominant 2-0 (21-16, 21-14) performance against Paraguayan Olympians Giuliana Poletti Corrales and Michelle Valiente.
Pool C also saw a three-set thriller determine one of its finalists, with French Olympians Clemence Vieira and Aline Chamereau securing a 2-1 (21-16, 15-21, 15-11) victory over Italy`s Claudia Scampoli and Giada Bianchi. They are now poised to challenge third-seeded Swiss duo Anouk Verge-Depre and Zoe Verge-Depre, who began their campaign with a decisive 2-0 (21-15, 21-12) win against Brazilian qualifiers Andressa Cavalcanti and Taina Bigi.
Pool E was unique in that both its matches concluded in straight sets. Germany`s fifth-seeded Svenja Muller and Cinja Tillmann achieved a 2-0 (21-16, 21-11) win against Brazilian qualifiers Thainara Feitosa de Oliveira and Talita Simonetti. Similarly, American silver medalists from last week, Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, secured a 2-0 (21-13, 21-13) victory over Czech qualifiers Marketa Svozilova and Marie-Sara Stochlova.
The pool classification matches are scheduled for Friday, with play resuming at 09:00 local time (12:00 UTC). The round of 18 will follow later in the day.
Oliver Wrenwick