Canada's Bansley, Bukovec fall to Americans to open Olympic beach volleyball

Saturday was always going to be a special day for Canadian beach volleyball player Sophie Bukovec — a picturesque setting just made it even more memorable.

Bukovec and Heather Bansley battled Americans Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, eventually dropping a 2-0 decision 21-17, 21-14.

A disappointing result did little to dampen the night for Bukovec, a 28-year-old Olympic rookie from Toronto.

"To just kind of have it all end up under the Eiffel Tower, under the lights, for this to be my first match with my friends and my family here, and to be playing alongside Heather, it's something that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life," she said.

After a day of on-and-off rain, the skies partially cleared ahead of the game, giving fans in the stands at the Eiffel Tower Stadium a spectacular view of a glowing orange sunset with cotton candy-pink clouds behind the iconic landmark.

"When we were warming up, the sky decided to turn pink and purple, and the sun came out, and then the lights of the Eiffel Tower, it just all kind of fit for us to kind of really have a special first Olympic Games," Bukovec said. "So it was really, really special."

Volleyball de plage