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POREC, Croatia, June 6, 2015 - It will be Brazil versus Canada
for the women’s gold medal at the US$800,000 Porec Major as the
two countries won semi-final matches here Saturday in the
inaugural SWATCH Major Series event.
Top-seeded Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca of Brazil will be
challenged by 17th-seeded Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan of
Canada in the finale that is being played in the heart of the
colorful Croatian coastal city on the shores of the Adriatic
Sea.
While the Brazilians have advanced to their sixth-straight FIVB
World Tour finale, the Canadians will be playing together in
their second international medal match in the last three starts.
In seeking their sixth-straight FIVB gold medal, Talita and
Larissa posted a 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) win in 37 minutes over
Canada’s 18th-seeded Jamie Broder and Kristina Valjas in the
first world tour meeting between the two teams. The Canadians
entered the match as the top team on the FIVB World Tour after
winning their country’s first-ever gold medal in the 2015
season-opener in China before claiming a bronze medal in
Switzerland.
Bansley and Pavan, who lost to a Brazilian team two weeks ago in
the Czech Republic gold medal match in Prague, scored a 2-1
(21-13, 15-21, 15-13) win in 49 minutes over 22nd-seeded Louise
Bawden and Taliqua Clancy of Australia. The win avenged a pair
of three-set setbacks to the Australians last season at “major”
events in Russia and The Hague.
With Canada guaranteed the second spot on the podium, the North
American country has now earned four medals in five FIVB World
Tour events this season. Prior to the 2015 campaign, a Canadian
women’s team had never earned a podium spot since the start of
international competition in 1992. With the “final four”
appearances Saturday, the Canadians became the first women’s
teams from their country to reach the semi-finals at a “major”
FIVB World Tour event.
Saturday’s finale will also be the second time Brazil and Canada
have meet for a women’s FIVB World Tour gold medal. In the
Prague finale, Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas defeated
Bansley and Pavan 2-0 (21-12, 21-18) in 37 minutes.) |
