Heather Bansley defeats Sarah Pavan in 1st post-breakup match
Bansley, Brandie Wilkerson qualify for Toronto event
There were no heated exchanges on the court between former partners Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan on Tuesday. Just a shot at $100,000 US on the line and a chance to begin a new partnership with a win.
Ultimately, it was Bansley who emerged victorious.
The Waterdown, Ont., native and new partner Brandie Wilkerson defeated Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes in straight sets 23-21, 21-13. Bansley and Wilkerson secured Canada's final quota spot with the win and advance to in the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals in Toronto.
In Pavan's first career beach volleyball match without Bansley, she and Humana-Paredes kept the first set close, taking a 20-18 lead. However, Bansley and Wilkerson rallied back to tie the set at 20, forcing a "win-by-two" situation.
"Winning that first set really put the pressure on them," Bansley, who turned 29 on Tuesday, told FIVB. "We got an early lead in the second set and just wanted to keep that momentum going."
"Initially I was a bit shaky, but having someone like Heather be a foundation for our team and allowing me to get into my rhythm and my flow and just making it about us and our game, Wilkerson, 24, told FIVB after the match.
Bansley and Wilkerson's first match of the Toronto tournament is against Italy's Marta Menegatti and Laura Giombini at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Before the match, the new pairs warmed up alongside each other on the main court at Polson Pier along Lake Ontario without so much as a hello exchanged between the former partners of four years. However, they cordially shook hands before and after the match.
"It was a little weird to be on the opposite side [of Bansley] this time," the 30-year old Pavan told FIVB. "We're disappointed with the result but this is just the beginning. We weren't expecting miracles by any means."
"Of course we are disappointed but we saw some good things out there and saw a lot of good that we can improve on and four years to do that for our big goal — Tokyo [in 2020]," Humana-Paredes, 23, told FIVB.