Rio de Janeiro, August 9, 2016 - Brazil's beach legends Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca take on Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Sweat of the United States in a pool A match during the afternoon session of day four. The Brazilians will be looking for their second pool win while the Americans will be looking to win their first.
Head to Head
Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca have won all four previous meetings against Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Sweat, with two in pool play, both by straight sets in The Hague Grand Slam in July, 2014 and in the Gstaad Major in July, 2015. The Brazilians also won a three-set quarterfinal match at the Porec Major in June, 2015 and a two-set quarterfinal match at the Poland Grand Slam in June of this year.
Historically the #1 seed has won all three of the meetings against the #13 seed in the Olympic Games, all in pool play. In London (2012) and Athens (2004) the wins were in straight sets while the lower seed forced a third set in Beijing (2008).
Talita Antunes/Larissa Franca, Brazil, Seed #1, Pool A, 1-0, MAX Set Ratio, 1.4000 Point Ratio Qualified as Host Nation Representative
• Talita: August 29, 1982 (33y11m8d), 181 cm (5'11"), 65 kg (144 lbs.), Hometown Mato Grosso Do Sul, 154th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 4th), 31 gold medals (ranks 6th), $1,391,175 career winnings (ranks 4th). Talita ranks first in FIVB World Tour tournaments played amongst all women's players competing at the Rio Olympics.
• Larissa: April 14, 1982 (34y3m23d), 174 cm (5'9"), 68 kg (151 lbs.), Hometown Cachoeiro de Itapemirim-Es, 140th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 14th), 59 gold medals (ranks 1st), $1,774,735 career winnings (ranks 1st)
• Talita and Larissa have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 25th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, 13 gold medals (ranks 5th), $855,000 career winnings (ranks 9th).
• Talita has played in 78 FIVB World Tour final fours with 31 gold, 16 silver, 15 bronze medals and 16 4th place finishes.
• Larissa has played in 104 FIVB World Tour final four with 59 gold, 22 silver, 18 bronze medals and five 4th place finishes.
• Talita and Larissa have played in 12 Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Gold Moscow Grand Slam 2015, Gold Porec Major 2015, Gold Gstaad Major 2015, Gold Long Beach Grand Slam 2015, Gold Olsztyn Grand Slam 2015, Gold Rio de Janeiro Open 2015, Gold World Tour Finals 2015, Gold Vitória Open 2016, Silver Moscow Grand Slam 2016, Bronze Hamburg Major 2016, Silver Olsztyn Grand Slam 2016, Gold Gstaad Major 2016).
• 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 finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Talita finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships with Renata Ribeiro in 2007 (Gstaad) won the bronze medal in 2009 (Stavanger) and finished 5th in 2011 (Rome), both with Maria Antonelli, and finished 17th with Taiana Lima in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Larissa finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships with Ana Richa in 2003 (Rio de Janeiro), won the silver medal in 2005 (Berlin), won the bronze medal in 2007 (Gstaad), won the silver medal in 2009 (Stavanger), and won the gold medal in 2011 (Rome), all with Juliana Felisberta.
• Talita and Larissa are currently ranked 6th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 4,340 points and 3rd in winnings with $210,000.
• Talita and Larissa have a career 135-14 (90.6%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 100-10 (90.9%) record in 2015-16.
• Talita won the bronze medal at the U21 World Championships with Maria Clara Salgado in 2002 (Catania, Italy).
• Larissa won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in 2003 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) with Ana Richa and won gold medals in 2007 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and 2011 (Guadalajara, Mexico), both with Juliana Felisberta.
• Talita and Larissa were Team of the Year and Tour Points Champions in 2015.
• Talita was named the FIVB World Tour Top Rookie in 2005, Best Blocker in 2013, Best Hitter in 2013, 2014, and 2015, Best Offensive Player in 2013, and was Team of the Year and Tour Points Champion with Taiana Lima in 2013.
• Larissa was named the FIVB World Tour Best Defensive Player in 2009, 2012, 2014, Best Hitter in 2008, 2010, Best Offensive Player in 2015, Best Setter in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014, Most Outstanding in 2006 and 2015, and was Team of the Year and Tour Points Champion with Juliana Felisberta in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
• Defeated Ekaterina Birlova / Evgeniya Ukolova, Russia (24), 21-14 and 21-16 in 34 minutes.
Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Sweat, United States, Seed #13, Pool A, 0-1, 0.500 Set Ratio, 0.8200 Point Ratio, Qualified 15th with 4,470 Points in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period
• Lauren: March 20, 1982 (34y4m17d), 188 cm (6'2"), 75 kg (167 lbs.), Hometown Carlsbad, 90th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 77th), $300,387 career winnings (ranks 55th)
• Brooke: March 27, 1986 (30y4m10d), 173 cm (5'8"), 65 kg (144 lbs.), Hometown Fort Myers, 44th FIVB World Tour event, $165,662 career winnings
• Lauren and Brooke have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 30th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, $266,775 career winnings (ranks 68th).
• Lauren has played in four FIVB World Tour final fours with four 4th place finishes.
• Brooke has played in one FIVB World Tour final four with one bronze medal.
• Lauren and Brooke finished 5th in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Lauren finished 33rd in the FIVB World Championships with Ashley Ivy Swift in 2009 (Stavanger), 5th with Brooke Niles in 2011 (Rome), and 5th with Brittany Hochevar in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Brooke finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships with Jennifer Fopma in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Lauren and Brooke are currently ranked 22nd in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 2,780 points and 21st in winnings with $67,775.
• Lauren and Brooke have a career 59-70 (45.7%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 42-51 (45.2%) record in 2015-16.
• Lauren and Brooke won the silver medal at the NORCECA Continental Championships in 2015 (Turtle Beach, Trinidad and Tobago)
• Lauren won gold medals on the Norceca Continental Tour with Brooke Niles in 2011 (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) and Ashley Ivy Swift in 2008 (Hacienda Bay Beach, Egypt).
• Brooke won the gold medal on the Norceca Continental Tour with Kristen Batt-Rohr in 2011 (Chiapas, Mexico), with Jennifer Fopma in 2013 (Boca Chica, Dominican Republic) and one other bronze medal with Fopma in 2013.
• Lost to Monika Brzostek / Kinga Kolosinska, Poland (12), 21-14, 13-21, and 7-15 in 45 minutes.