Brazil is set to produce the first medal sweep of a Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite16 event on Sunday, when the South American country will have teams occupying all three spots on the women’s podium in front of their home fans in Uberlandia.

Brazilian teams took all four semifinal spots in the women’s tournament and after emerging victorious from their semifinal encounters at Praia Clube on Saturday, Andressa Cavalcanti/Vitoria Rodrigues and Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa/Ana Patricia Ramos will play the gold medal match on Sunday at 13:00 local time (16:00 GMT).

Barbara Seixas/Carol Salgado and Taiana Lima/Hegeile ‘Hege’ Santos will play for bronze earlier, at 10:30 local time (13:30 GMT).

· Watch all matches at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 event in Uberlandia live on Volleyball TV.

Andressa, 26, and Vitoria, 23, have already secured their best result at an Elite16 event this week in Uberlandia, improving from ninths in Ostrava and Jurmala. The two have won two bronze medals at the Challenge level, in Itapema and Espinho.

To make it to the final in Uberlandia, they had to overcome two Brazilian teams, both in three sets. In the quarterfinals, Andressa and Vitoria defeated veterans Maria Elisa Antonelli and Fernanda Berti 2-1 (16-21, 23-21, 15-9). In the semifinals, they came from behind again, this time to top Barbara and Carol in the tie-breaker (19-21, 21-14, 15-12).

“We knew this was going to be a very difficult match,” Vitoria reacted. “It demanded great focus and it’s been a very special tournament for us. I feel like we are helping each other a lot and overcoming whatever obstacles get in our way. We’re both really happy, but we want very much to win gold.”

The Uberlandia semifinal marked the first victory of Andressa and Vitoria over Barbara and Carol on the Beach Pro Tour after defeats earlier this season in Tlaxcala and Ostrava.

“We’ve played them quite a few times, both on the Beach Pro Tour and the Brazilian Tour,” Andressa added. “They’re both fantastic players and we had to play with our hearts. We stuck together the entire time and had great patience to adapt to the game. We’re really excited about our first gold medal match and will give our 100%, but also have fun and enjoy it.”

Uberlandia Elite16 - Match Schedule and Results

The reigning world champions, Duda and Ana Patricia were dominant in Saturday’s elimination rounds. The two powered through the quarterfinals and the semifinals, first topping Japan’s Miki Ishii/Sayaka Mizoe 2-0 (21-9, 21-14) and then defeating Taiana and Hege also in two sets (21-17, 21-11).

“We’re so excited,” Duda said. “Taiana and Hege are a very strong team. Their defensive system is really solid and they always serve well. I’m glad we were able to remain focused and play our best game. I had some struggles with my side out early, but Ana helped me a lot.”

The world champions will be looking for their third title this season, following their victories in Rome and at the Gstaad Elite16 event. They are also set to secure their sixth-straight Beach Pro Tour medal, having won bronze at Elite16 events in Jurmala, Paris and Cape Town.

“Our mission here is almost completed, but not yet,” Ana Patricia reflected. “We know it’s going to be a tough match against Andressa and Vitoria, so all we want is to be able to play at our best. If we do that, we’ll get the result we deserve. I really hope we can continue to do what we did today.”

Quick links:
Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Uberlandia Elite16
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