Canada’s Humana-Paredes, Wilkerson to play for gold in women’s beach volleyball

Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson seem to be at their best with their backs against the wall.

The Canadians 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.

Canada will play for gold on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.

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.

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.

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.

World No. 1 Ana Patricia Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda) of Brazil face world No. 26 Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia in the other semifinal.

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.