Canadian women to meet in semifinals in Martinique

Canadian women to meet in semifinals in Martinique

POINTE DU-MARIN, Martinique, October 27, 2018 - Canada continued its impressive showing in the women’s segment of the sixth and final leg of the 2018 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit by advancing both its teams to the semifinal.

They were joined in the final-four by the surprise package of Puerto Rico, and USA-B.

In the quarterfinals, Canada-B’s Amanda Harnett and Marie-Christine Lapointe beat Costa Ricans Melissa Armijo and Katherine Quesada 21-17, 21-13, while Canada-A pairing Sophie Bukovec and Alexandra Poletto overcame El Salvadorans’ Kathya Vasquez and Maria Fernanda Vargas 21-15, 21-12 to set up an all-Canada semifinal.

Puerto Ricans, Allanis Navas Sanchez and Maria Gonzalez stunned USA-A’s Victoria Dennis and Melissa Fuchs 21-12; 21-15; and USA-B’s Katherine Spieler and Karissa Cook swept past Dominican teenagers, Adicia Burton and EthlyneLockhart 21-4, 21-9.

Earlier in the morning session to complete pool play in the 11-team competition, Puerto Rico defeated Trinidad and Tobago’s Rheeza Grant 21-16, 21-18 to end with a perfect 2-0 record in Pool A.

Harnett and Lapointe was second in Pool B with a 2-1 record after they added another win over Dennis and Fuchs 21-18, 21-12 , before losing to pool winners, Spieler and Cook 19-21, 17-21.

Spieler and Cook also beat Martinique-B’s Christine Alamelou and Vanessa Zamord 21-3, 21-9.

And in Pool C, Bukovec and Poletto were perfect at 3-0 thanks to triumphs against Burton and Lockhart 21-14, 21-4 and Frederique Soton and Estelle Le Pelley 21-6, 21-12.

Costa Ricans’ Armijo and Quesada defeated Soton and Le Pelley 21-13, 21-14 and Burton and Lockhart 21-15, 21-3 for second in the pool.

Burton and Lockhart, recent participants at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina still reached the last-eight as one of the best two third placed teams along with Dennis and Fuchs.

Dennis and Fuchs was the best third placed team with a points ration co-efficient of1.0206 to Dominica’s 0.7419 and Trinidad and Tobago’s 0.7024.

Women Day Two Results:

Pool A: PUR d TTO 21-16, 21-11. Pool B: CAN-B d USA-A 21-18, 21-12; USA-B d MQE –B 21-3, 21-9; USA-B d CAN-B 21-19, 21-17; USA-A d MQE-B 21-6, 21-7. Pool D: CAN-A d DMA 21-14, 21-4; CRC d MQE-A 21-13, 21-14; CAN-A d MQE-A 21-6, 21-12; CRC d DMA 21-15, 21-3.