Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson seem to be at their best with their backs against the wall.
The Canadians fought off one match point in the second set and beat the previously unbeaten Swiss team of Nina Brunner and Tanja Hueberli 2-1 (14-21, 22-20, 15-12) in a thrilling women’s beach volleyball semifinal on Thursday at the Olympics.
Canada will play for gold against world No. 1 team Ana Patricia Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda) of Brazil on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.
“We’re bringing back a medal for Canada. We know the one we want,” Humana-Paredes told CBC Olympics. “I think we’re just in a really great position because I think there’s more left in the tank for us. I don’t think we’ve seen our best ball yet. I think that’s coming tomorrow.”
It will be the best-ever finish for a Canadian volleyball team. Canada has won just one volleyball medal in Olympic history — bronze by John Child and Mark Heese in men’s beach in 1996.
Canada (5-2) has won four elimination matches in a row after going a shaky 1-2 in pool play.
The Canadians broke an 11-11 tie in the third set of the semifinal with three straight points, capped by a huge Wilkerson block. Two points later, the match was over.
Canada tied it at one set apiece in dramatic fashion. Canada got a sideout on a Switzerland match point and then scored two points in a row on Swiss attacking errors. It was the first set lost by Switzerland in six matches at the Olympics.
“We knew we had more in us and we just stuck with it,” Humana-Paredes told CBC Olympics.
Switzerland took control of the first set after the media timeout, scoring five straight points to go up 16-11. Brunner had two aces to highlight the run.
Wilkerson cut the deficit to 16-13 with a big block, but Canada could not maintain the momentum.
“We came for it all,” Wilkerson said, per the Canadian Olympic Committee. “We can stand with our heads proud that we have an opportunity for a medal but we won’t lose sight. It’s gold (as the goal) for us.”
Brazil beat No. 26 Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia 2-1 in the other semifinal. The Brazilian team is 3-1 all-time against Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson, but the Canadians won the last meeting in March.
Canada held the 3-1 lead in the all-time series against the Swiss heading into the semis, but the latter team won the most recent meeting earlier this year.
Humana-Paredes, with Sarah Pavan, and Wilkerson, with Heather Bansley, both lost in the quarterfinals in Tokyo three years ago before joining forces as a new team.
Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson were indoor volleyball teammates at York University early last decade.
The Swiss squad lost in the round of 16 in Tokyo.