McNamara twins eyeing return to the sand at King of the Court 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, September 7, 2020 – After a long wait, the McNamara twins are finally set to return to a beach volleyball court. 23-year-old Megan and Nicole haven’t appeared in an international tournament since July 2019, but the Canadians are set for a busy ten-day period in Europe, which will be capped off with their participation at the 2020 King of the Court event in Utrecht, the Netherlands. 

Megan and Nicole, who ended a successful collegiate career in the United States with UCLA in 2019, last played internationally at the five-star FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour Vienna Major in July 2019, when they lost the only qualifier match they played. Three months later, they finished fourth at a NORCECA event in Boca Chica, the Dominican Republic. 

Their return to the courts will take place this weekend, when they are set to appear in a Dutch Tour event in Breda. From there, they will head to Utrecht, as they are set to debut on Wednesday in a pool with Brazil’s Ana Patricia Ramos/Rebecca Silva, Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Anouk Verge-Depre, Spain’s Liliana Fernandez/Elsa Baquerizo and Dutch Esmee Priem/Julia Wouters. 

“It’s a different format to a usual World Tour event,” said Megan in an interview with Canadian website Delta Optimist. “It’s super fun with 20 teams. With the pandemic it’s going to be different than in past years, but they have a pretty cool stadium that is very safe for the fans and it’s just going to be great to be playing again.” 

After such a long time away from the courts, the McNamaras might be short on match rhythm, but their minds couldn’t be in a better place.  

After living in Los Angeles between 2015 and 2019, they relocated to Toronto, where the Canadian national team training facilities are located. During the pandemic, they were able to return to their hometown Tsawwassen, on the west coast of the country, and to spend time with their family. 

“We were so grateful for that time,” Nicole added. “It was so nice to catch my breath and be with my family. It still feels like home and there is a sense of comfort to be back there. At the end of the day, it wasn’t the worst timing for us and was a total blessing in disguise. We haven’t had a chance to spend that much time at home for a long time, with our parents, our dog and our grandparents too.”