Canada’s Pavan, Bukovec remain winless in 1st competition as team

Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Sophie Bukovec dropped a pair of matches at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Finals on Friday in Doha, Qatar.

The duo, which teamed up in October, is now 0-3 at its first competition together and sits in last place of its five-team pool.

After falling in straight sets Thursday, the Canadians won a single set in each of its Friday matches.

Pavan and Bukovec drew first blood against the top-ranked Brazilian duo of Eduarda Santos Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos to begin the day with a 21-18 opening-set victory.

WATCH | Pavan, Bukovec fall to Brazilians:

FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Doha (The Finals): Canada vs. Brazil

Watch the 2023 FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Doha (The Finals) main draw match between Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Sophie Bukovec vs. Brazil’s Eduarda “Duda” Santos Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Silva Ramos.

But the Brazilians took control from there, outscoring the Canadians in attack and block points while committing fewer errors to win the final two sets 21-16 and 15-12.

The Canadians once again made things interesting with a dominant 21-14 second-set win before falling in the third set by just two points.

While Pavan, of Kitchener, Ont., and Toronto’s Bukovec outscored the Latvians on attacks and blocks and drew even on serves, errors were ultimately their undoing with 10 more than their opponents.

Canada wraps group play on Saturday against Americans Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth.

WATCH | Latvians edge Canada:

FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Doha (The Finals): Canada vs. Latvia

Watch the 2023 FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Doha (The Finals) main draw match between Canada’s Sarah Pavan and Sophie Bukovec vs. Anastasija Samoilova and Tīna Graudiņa.