Sept. 24, 2023: Today, two Canadian teams – Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing, Sophie Bukovec and Heather Bansley – captured gold at the Beach Volleyball Pro Tour Futures event in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Brothers Zach and Jacob van Geel of Alberta also made the podium, posting a respectable third-place finish.
This Futures event was packed with homegrown talent. Of the 32 men’s and women’s teams that qualified for the main draw, 17 were representing Canada.
In Sunday’s first semi-final, Schachter/Dearing, who entered the tournament as the first seed, faced off against fellow countrymen Zechariah Johnson and Jordan Deshane. Earlier in the tournament, Johnson/Deshane upset their top-ranked compatriots, setting the stage for a compelling rematch. But Johnson/Deshane couldn’t pull it off again. In the end, Schachter/Dearing advanced to the finals with a two-set victory (21-10, 22-20).
Over to the other men’s semi-final, where the brothers van Geel matched up with Smith/Webber of the U.S. (Here’s a fun fact: Smith is the son of beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith, the winningest player in AVP history.) Unfortunately, the van Geels lost in two sets (17-21, 18-21).
Then came an all-Canadian third-place match, with the van Geels versus Johnson/Deshane. After a hard-fought battle, the van Geels were victorious, snatching bronze in three sets (21-17, 16-21, 15-12).
In the men’s final, Schachter/Dearing validated their top ranking, beating out Smith/Webber in two sets (21-17, 27-25). The victory capped a successful two-month stretch for the Canadians, who recently won gold at Volleyball Canada’s Beach Nationals.
Now for the women’s bracket. In the semi-finals, top-seeded Bukovec/Bansley swept past York/Whalen of the U.S. in two sets (21-15, 23-21), punching their ticket to the finals.
In the championship match, the Canadians had their golden moment, winning in two sets (21-16, 25-23) over Hildreth/Van Gunst of the U.S. This was the first tournament win for Bukovec/Bansley since forming a partnership earlier this year.
If you missed any of the action, catch a replay of the semi-finals and finals on the Beach Volleyball World YouTube channel. Additionally, a full list of tournament results can be found on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour website.
There’s more beach volleyball action next week. From Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, the top Canadian duo of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson (currently ranked 7th in the world) will compete at the Elite16 in Paris, France. The tournament features the best beach volleyball teams in the world. It should be epic, as each squad looks to test their mettle against top-tier competition and earn points toward Olympic qualification. Preview the schedule here.
This year, Canada hosted three Beach Pro Tour events – a Challenge event in Edmonton (July 20-23), an Elite 16 in Montreal (July 26-30) and this Futures event in Halifax. Futures tournaments are a showcase of the top up-and-coming talent on tour, giving teams a chance to gain experience and showcase their skills.
Volleyball Canada Media Contact:
Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676
