Canada's Humana-Paredes, Wilkerson advance to final of Olympic beach volleyball qualifier

Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson are one win away from clinching an Olympic beach volleyball berth for Canada after reaching the women’s final at the NORCECA continental qualifier in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.

The Paris 2024 silver medallists beat Mexico’s Susana Torres and Abril Flores 21-12, 21-18 in 40 minutes in Sunday’s semifinals.

They’ll face undefeated Americans Megan Kraft and Kelly Cheng at 3 p.m. ET for a women’s berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The Mexicans had won Pool A with a 4-0 record, including a 23-21, 21-11 win over top-seeded Puerto Rico.

The third-seeded Canadians finished second in Pool B at 3-1, with their lone loss coming against the second-seeded Americans. Canada is the only team to take a set off Kraft and Cheng this tournament, winning the opener 23-21 in Saturday’s meeting before dropping the next two 21-16, 15-12.

Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson haven’t lost a set in the knockout rounds, beating T’ara Austin and Taylor Buckner of the U.S. Virgin Islands 21-11, 21-16 in the quarterfinals.

The Americans reached the final with a 21-16, 21-12 win over Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas and Keishlyann Sanchez in 35 minutes.

On the men’s side, Canada’s Samuel Schachter and Jonathan Pickett will play for bronze after losing their semifinal 21-19, 21-18 to Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger of the U.S.

The second-seeded Canadians will face Puerto Rico’s William Rivera and Diego Rosich, who lost their semifinal to Mexico’s Carlos Andres Ayala and Ines Vargas Lares.

Schachter and Pickett went unbeaten in Pool B and beat Costa Rica 21-14, 21-14 in the quarterfinals.