Brazilian teams made a powerful impression during the qualifiers for the Beach Volleyball World Pro Tour Elite16 in Joao Pessoa, seizing half of the available slots in the women's main draw. Competing on home soil, three Brazilian duos upset higher-seeded opponents in what turned out to be a dramatic and unexpected series of matches on Wednesday.
Key Matches and Upsets
The standout performance came from Flavia Moura and Barbara Alves, who mounted a stunning comeback against top-seeded Americans Xolani Hodel and Kylie Kuyava-DeBerg. Despite being seeded 16th, the Brazilians claimed victory in a tense three-setter (20-22, 21-17, 15-13).
Other major Brazilian triumphs included:
- Verena Oliveira and Kyce Silva (14th seeds) defeating Dutch third seeds Wies Bekhuis and Emi van Driel convincingly (21-13, 21-17).
- Carol Horta and Elize Maia dominating New Zealand’s Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald (21-14, 21-16).
- Wild cards Thainara Oliveira and Talita Simonetti toppling Dutch Olympians Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon in straight sets.
Other Qualifiers
The remaining four spots in the women's main draw were secured by pairs from outside Brazil:
- Americans Corinne Quiggle/Chloe Loreen and Hailey Harward/Molly Phillips—both teams advanced without dropping a set.
- Lithuanians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte, both Olympians, secured their place with a clean two-set win.
- France’s Lezana Placette and Alexia Richard also progressed via straight-set victory.
Part of the 2025 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, this Elite16 event brings together some of the sport's top talent. The women's main draw kicks off Thursday at 09:00 local time, promising even more high-level action.
Read the full article on the official Beach Volleyball World website here.
