Defending champions Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson secured two wins on Thursday at the Montreal Elite stop on the FIVB Beach Pro Tour circuit. The Toronto duo triumphed over Brazil’s Carolina Horta and Ana Patricia Ramos with a score of 21-12, 21-12 in the first match, followed by a 21-13, 21-16 victory against the Lithuanian pair of Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte.
Having previously clinched titles in 2023 and 2025, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson are aiming for a third consecutive win. In 2024, when there was no tournament in Montreal, the duo finished as silver medallists at the Paris Olympics, losing to Ramos and Eduarda (Duda) Lisboa.
During Thursday’s matches, the Toronto team sought redemption by outscoring the Brazilians 26-18 on attack points and 8-1 on serves. Lea Monkhouse of Mississauga, Ont., and local favorite Marie-Alex Belanger of Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez, Que., faced a 21-15, 21-15 defeat against Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova of Latvia.
In the men’s category, Samuel Schachter of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Jonathan Pickett of Wiarton, Ont., had a split performance in two matches, while Cameron Chadwick of Barrie, Ont., and Steven Abrams of Georgetown, Ont., suffered two losses. The competition will run until Sunday at Parc Jean-Drapeau.