Hughes/Cheng Continue Winning Ways at Paris, Melissa/Brandie drop to 1-1
PARIS, France, July 31, 2024.- Americans Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng won
their second match in a row and Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie
Wilkerson of Canada dropped their record 1-1 on Wednesday at the Paris
Olympics.
Hughes/Cheng won their second match in a row in straight sets with a 2-0
(21-16, 23-21) win over Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau of host
France.
Hughes/Cheng complete pool play competition against the German team of
Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann on Friday, August 2.
“It’s great being 2-0 in pool play so far,” Hughes said. “That France
team played really really well. At some point we got behind, but we just
looked at each other and said hey, we just have to take it one point at
a time. We didn’t get flustered or anything, we just kept going for it.”
Cheng led all players with 20 points with match-highs of 16 kills and
three blocks, adding an ace. Hughes finished with 11 points on 10 kills
and an ace, and eight digs. Cheng added four digs.
“I think all those little things just connect us, unite us, keep us
talking, keep us on the same page,” Cheng said. “I think they are so
important for us and our team and it pays off every match, win or lose.”
Also on Wednesday, 16th seeded Esmee Bobner & Zoe Verge-Depre of
Switzerland achieved a 2-1 (21-18, 13-21, 15-11) upset of fourth-seeded
Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson to remain the
only undefeated team in Pool D and progress to the eighthfinals.
Zoe led the way with 21 points, including two aces. Brandie also
finished with 21, including four kill blocks and three aces. In the same
pool earlier in the day, Latvia’s Tina Graudina & Anastasija Samoilova,
seeded ninth, achieved their first win at Paris 2024, a 2-0 (21-19,
21-15) straight-setter against Paraguay’s Giuliana Poletti & Michelle
Valiente, with Tina leading the way with 22 points.
So, on Saturday, when the Latvians and the Canadians meet in the last
Pool D, the winners will also gain a direct ticket to the last 16.
Olympic Games Paris 2024 Beach Volleyball: schedule and results |