POREC, Croatia — Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes downed the Czech Republic 2-1 to win the gold medal at the Porec Major on the FIVB Beach World Tour on Saturday.
The Canadians lost the first set 34-32 to Barbora Hermannova and Marketa Slukova before taking the second and third sets — 21-12 and 15-6 respectively — to clinch their first gold medal as a team on the international beach volleyball tour.
Pavan had previously picked up silver in 2015 and 2016 at Porec with Heather Bansley and a silver this year in Rio with Humana-Paredes.
"It was very emotional, I started crying at the end," said Pavan, a 2016 Olympian from Kitchener, Ont. "Mel and I have just come together as a team but we’ve both wanted gold for so long that doing it as a team is an amazing feeling.
"To do it on Canada Day makes it perfect."
Both teams traded match points in the first set before Hermannova and Slukova edged two points ahead to win. In the second set, Pavan used her height and reach to her advantage at the net, denying Hermannova and Slukova any advantage.
Pavan and Humana-Paredes took an early lead in the third set and held on to clinch gold.
"It’s indescribable," said Toronto’s Humana-Paredes. "When you dream of something and you finally achieve it, it is the best feeling ever and you want to do it again."
Switzerland’s Tanja Huberli and Nina Betschart claimed bronze by beating Brazil’s Barbara Seixas and Fernanda Alves in straight sets 21-14, 21-19.
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