Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 1, 2015 - The knockout stages get underway at the Netherlands 2015, FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. Brazil's Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes are the leading women's pair on Amsterdam's centre court and will face Australia's Mariafe Artacho and Nicole Laird.
Matches 85-88, Amsterdam
Chantal Laboureur / Julia Sude (GER), 1st Place Pool G, Amsterdam
• Chantal Laboureur and Julia Sude have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 17th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Chantal has played in 3 FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals and one 4th place finish.
• Julia has played in 4 FIVB World Tour final fours with three silver medals and one 4th place finish.
• Chantal and Julia have played in 1 Final Four in 2015 (Silver Fuzhou Open).
• Chantal and Julia are currently ranked 6th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 2,470 points and 13th in winnings with $53,375.
• Chantal and Julia won the gold medal at the 2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Biel/Bienne Masters in 2014 (Biel, Switzerland).
• Chantal and Julia won the gold medal at the 2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Baku Masters in 2014 (Baku, Azerbaijan).
• Chantal won the gold medal at the U19 World Championships with Levke Spinger in 2008 (The Hague, Netherlands).
• Julia won the bronze medal at the U18 World Championships with Florentina Buttner in 2004 (Termoli, Italy).
• Julia won the bronze medal at the U19 World Championships with Florentina Buttner in 2005 (Saint Quay Portrieux, France).
• Julia won the silver medal at the U21 World Championships with Jana Kohler in 2006 (Myslowice, Poland).
Tatyana Mashkova/Irina Tsimbalova (KAZ), 3rd Place Pool A, The Hague
• Tatyana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova have been playing together since 2009. They are playing in their 52nd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Tatyana and Irina are currently ranked 32nd in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1080 points and 35th in winnings with $13,800.
• Tatyana and Irina rank 44th on the all-time FIVB World Tour team tournament list with 52 and 123rd on the all-time FIVB World Tour team winnings list with $103,750.
• Tatyana ($53,125) ranks 224th and Irina ($53,125) ranks 224th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
Laboureur/Sude lead the Head to Head 2-0
• Lucerne Open, 05/13/2015, Pool F , Laboureur/Sude won 2-1 (16-21, 21-16, 15-12) (0:47)
• Fuzhou Open, 04/24/2014, Pool B , Laboureur/Sude won 2-0 (23-21, 21-14) (0:34)
Karla Borger / Britta Buthe (GER), 1st Place Pool J, Amsterdam
• Karla Borger and Britta Buthe have been playing together since 2010. They are playing in their 49th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Karla has played in 6 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, two silver, one bronze medal and two 4th place finishes.
• Britta has played in 6 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, two silver, one bronze medal and two 4th place finishes.
• Karla and Britta have played in 2 Final Fours in 2015 (Gold Lucerne Open, 4th St. Petersburg Grand Slam).
• Karla and Britta are currently ranked 4th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 2,580 points and 6th in winnings with $80,000. They have one win in 2015 (Lucerne Open).
• Karla and Britta rank 23rd on the all-time FIVB World Tour team winnings list with $436,925.
• Karla ($224,012) ranks 68th and Britta ($218,462) ranks 76th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Karla and Britta won the gold medal at the CEV Polish Masters in 2011 (Niechorze, Poland).
• Britta won the bronze medal at the U19 World Championships with Svenja Engelhardt in 2006 (Bermuda, Bermuda).
• Karla was named the FIVB World Tour Best Server in 2014.
• Britta was named the FIVB World Tour Top Rookie in 2011.
Heather Bansley / Sarah Pavan (CAN), 2nd Place Pool C, Apeldoorn
• Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 25th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Heather has played in 2 FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals.
• Sarah has played in 2 FIVB World Tour final fours with two silver medals.
• Heather and Sarah have played in 2 Final Fours in 2015 (Silver Prague Open, Silver Porec Major Series).
• Heather and Sarah are currently ranked 2nd in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 2,750 points and 5th in winnings with $89,375.
• Heather won gold medals at the Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit Puerto Rico in 2010 (Boquerón, Puerto Rico), and Guatemala in 2011 (Guatemala City, Guatemala), both with Elizabeth Maloney.
• Borger/Buthe lead the Head to Head 2-1
• St. Petersburg Grand Slam, 06/19/2015, Pool F , Borger/Buthe won 2-0 (21-18, 21-12) (0:38)
• Klagenfurt Grand Slam, 07/30/2014, Pool H , Bansley/Pavan won 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 15-13) (0:49)
• Corrientes Grand Slam, 05/24/2013, Winner 2, Borger/Buthe won 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) (0:35)
Maria Antonelli / Juliana Felisberta (BRA), 2nd Place Pool G, Amsterdam
• Maria Antonelli and Juliana Felisberta have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 19th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Maria has played in 47 FIVB World Tour final fours with 11 gold, 13 silver, 13 bronze medals and 10 4th place finishes.
• Juliana has played in 96 FIVB World Tour final fours with 47 gold, 25 silver, 18 bronze medals and six 4th place finishes.
• Maria and Juliana have played in 2 Final Fours in 2015 (Gold Stavanger Major Series, Silver St. Petersburg Grand Slam).
• Maria finished 9th in the Olympic Games with Talita Antunes in 2012 (London).
• Juliana won the bronze medal in the Olympic Games with Larissa Franca in 2012 (London).
• Maria and Juliana are currently ranked 5th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 2,520 points and 3rd in winnings with $125,000. They have one win in 2015 (Stavanger Major Series).
• Maria (11) ranks 15th and Juliana (47) ranks 3rd in all-time FIVB World Tour individual gold medals.
• Maria (104) ranks 40th and Juliana (129) ranks 17th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual tournaments.
• Maria ($787,212) ranks 10th and Juliana ($1,528,412) ranks 1st in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Juliana won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Taiana Lima in 2002 (Catania, Italy).
• Maria and Juliana were Tour Champions and were named the FIVB World Tour Team of the Year with Juliana Felisberta in 2014.
• Juliana was named the FIVB World Tour Best Blocker in 2009 and 2010, Best Offensive Player in 2006, 2010, and 2012, Most Outstanding in 2009, 2010, and 2011, Sportsperson in 2011 and 2014, and was Tour Champion and Team of the Year with Larissa Franca in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Tanja Goricanec / Tanja Huberli (SUI), 2nd Place Pool B, Amsterdam
• Tanja Goricanec and Tanja Huberli have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 28th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Goricanec and Huberli are currently ranked 29th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 1,280 points and 29th in winnings with $27,000.
• Goricanec and Huberli won the silver medal at the 2014 CEV Beach Volleyball European Championship Final in 2014 (Cagliari, Italy).
• Huberli was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2014.
• Antonelli/Juliana lead the Head to Head 2-1
• Stare Jablonki Grand Slam, 08/20/2014, Pool A , Goricanec/Huberli won 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 16-14) (0:53)
• Klagenfurt Grand Slam, 07/30/2014, Pool D , Antonelli/Felisberta won 2-1 (15-21, 21-16, 15-9) (0:46)
• Fuzhou Open, 04/26/2014, Winner 2, Antonelli/Felisberta won 2-1 (16-21, 21-14, 15-11) (0:58)
Mariafe Artacho/Nicole Laird (AUS), 3rd Place Pool C, Apeldoorn
• Mariafe Artacho and Nicole Laird have been playing together since 2012. They are playing in their 8th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Mariafe and Nicole are currently ranked 39th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 760 points and 34th in winnings with $14,000.
• Mariafe and Nicole won the gold medal at the U23 World Championships in 2014 (Myslowice, Poland).
• Mariafe won the bronze medal at the U21 World Championships with Taliqua Clancy in 2012 (Halifax, Canada).
Talita Antunes / Larissa Franca (BRA), 1st Place Pool B, Amsterdam
• Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 10th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together.
• Talita has played in 68 FIVB World Tour final fours with 24 gold, 14 silver, 14 bronze medals and 16 4th place finishes.
• Larissa has played in 94 FIVB World Tour final fours with 52 gold, 20 silver, 17 bronze medals and five 4th place finishes.
• Talita and Larissa have played in 2 Final Fours in 2015 (Gold Moscow Grand Slam, Gold Porec Major Series).
• Talita finished 4th in the Olympic Games with Renata Ribeiro in 2008 (Beijing) and 9th with Maria Antonelli in 2012 (London).
• Larissa finished 5th in the Olympic Games with Ana Paula Henkel in 2008 (Beijing) and won the bronze medal with Juliana Felisberta in 2012 (London).
• Talita and Larissa are currently ranked 9th in FIVB World Tour points in 2015 with 2,360 points and 2nd in winnings with $132,000. They have two wins in 2015 (Moscow Grand Slam, Porec Major Series).
• Talita and Larissa rank 39th on the all-time FIVB World Tour team winnings list with $342,000.
• Talita (24) ranks 7th and Larissa (52) ranks 1st in all-time FIVB World Tour individual gold medals.
• Talita (139) ranks 10th and Larissa (125) ranks 18th in all-time FIVB World Tour individual tournaments.
• Talita ($1,134,675) ranks 6th and Larissa ($1,518,235) ranks 2nd in all-time FIVB World Tour individual earnings.
• Talita won the bronze medal at the U21 World Championships with Maria Clara Salgado in 2002 (Catania, Italy).
• Talita was named the FIVB World Tour Top Rookie in 2005, Best Blocker in 2013, Best Hitter in 2013 and 2014, Best Offensive Player in 2013, and was Tour Champion and Team of the Year with Taiana Lima in 2013.
• Larissa was named the FIVB World Tour Best Defensive Player in 2009, 2012, and 2014, Best Hitter in 2008 and 2010, Best Setter in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, Most Outstanding in 2006, and was Tour Champion and Team of the Year with Juliana Felisberta in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
• First Meeting Between the Two Teams