Women's FIVB world champions rebound

Maceió, Brazil, February 28, 2016 - Thirteen hours after being upset in the semi-finals of the US$150,000 Maceió Open, top-seeded Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas of Brazil rebounded to capture the bronze medal at the third women’s event on the 2015-2016 FIVB World Tour calendar.

With a 2-0 (21-13, 21-14) win in 39 minutes over 14th-seeded Ana Gallay and Georgina Klug of Argentina, Agatha and Barbara shared the $6,000 third-placed prize for their 13th FIVB World Tour medal in 34 international starts together.  One of the medals was gold at the 2015 FIVB World Championships in The Hague.



“Although we are very disappointed with our play last night, it is always good to medal at a FIVB event, especially in Brazil,” said the 28-year old Barbara, who has earned a spot with Agatha at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.  “We now have a week to work on our game and prepare for the next big international event in Rio in two weeks.”

Agatha said the conditions were “tough to play in (43° C, 107°F on the sand, 90 percent humidity).  It was even hot for us.  I think the heat got to the Argentinean girls.”

Sunday’s meeting was the sixth FIVB match between the two teams with Agatha and Barbara have a 5-1 edge in the series with the Argentineans.  Gallay and Klug, the 2015 Pan-American champions, were playing in their third FIVB “final four” in 34 events.

GOLD MEDAL MATCH

Fifth-seeded Madelein Meppelink and Marleen Van Iersel of The Netherlands will be challenged by 22nd-seeded Eduarda “Duda” Lisboa and Elize Maia of Brazil for the Maceió Open women’s gold medal and the $11,000 first-place prize.

The Dutch advanced to the finals with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win in 42 minutes over Agatha and Barbara while Duda and Elize Maia posted a 2-0 (21-15, 21-18) semi-final victory in 40 minutes over Gallay and Klug.

NEXT EVENT AT SITE OF RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES

Following the Maceió Open, the FIVB World Tour will take a week off before resuming competition March 8-13 on famed Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, the first grand slam event on the 2015-2016 international Beach Volleyball calendar with an $800,000 purse.