Two teams each from Brazil and the Netherlands and one each from Czechia, Paraguay, Poland and USA successful in Rio Elite women’s qualifiers
Dutch beach volleyball stars Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon have achieved their first victory since Stam`s return from a prolonged injury, successfully qualifying for the main draw of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite16 event in Rio de Janeiro. Their strong performance on Wednesday means they will compete in the main draw starting Thursday, joining another Dutch team, two Brazilian teams, and duos from Czechia, Paraguay, Poland, and the United States.
After failing to win their qualifying match last week in Joao Pessoa, Stam and Schoon, seeded 12th in the qualification bracket, delivered a remarkable comeback in Rio. They triumphed over the fifth-seeded American pair Kylie Kuyava-De Berg and Xolani Hodel with a 2-1 score (19-21, 21-14, 15-12). Stam was pivotal with a total of 21 points, while Schoon showcased her skill with five aces, contributing 13 points to their win.
In a significant upset, Brazilian wild cards Andressa Cavalcanti and Taina Bigi, seeded 16th, managed to defeat the top-seeded Australian team, comprised of Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic. The home team secured a straight-sets victory, 2-0 (21-19, 21-13), with Taina scoring an impressive 19 points.
Further upsets followed as the third-seeded Lithuanian Olympians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte were knocked out by the 14th-seeded Paraguayan Olympic duo Giuliana Poletti Corrales and Michelle Valiente. The Paraguayans secured a 2-1 comeback win (19-21, 21-13, 15-12).
Brazil`s Thainara Feitosa de Oliveira and Talita Simonetti, seeded 10th, also caused a three-set upset, overcoming the seventh-seeded Americans Hailey Harward and Molly Phillips with a 2-1 victory (21-17, 17-21, 15-8).
The match between the second-seeded Czech duo Marketa Svozilova and Marie-Sara Stochlova and Brazil`s 15th-seeded Carol Horta and Elize Maia was a fierce contest, extending to overtime in the tie-breaker. The European pair ultimately persevered, securing a 2-1 win (21-17, 18-21, 16-14) and living up to their higher ranking.
The remaining three qualification games were decided in straight sets. France`s Paris 2024 Olympic team, Lezana Placette and Alexia Richard, suffered a tough 2-0 defeat (25-23, 21-18) against Poland’s Natalia Okla and Urszula Lunio. The 11th-seeded Dutch pair Wies Bekhuis and Emi van Driel earned a 2-0 victory (21-12, 21-18) over Australia’s sixth-seeded Elizabeth Alchin and Georgia Johnson. Finally, the American team of Corinne Quiggle and Chloe Loreen produced a 2-0 shutout (21-13, 21-19) against New Zealand’s Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald.
The women’s main draw action in Rio is scheduled to commence on Thursday, with the first matches serving off at 09:00 local time (12:00 UTC).
Oliver Wrenwick 
Jasper Thornfield