Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt and Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter have played four times previously on the FIVB World Tour. Alison and Bruno have won all four meetings, all in pool play, and all in two sets. The teams only met one time in 2016, a 21-14 and 21-14 victory for the Brazilians in 36 minutes. In 2015, Alison and Bruno won 21-17 and 21-19 in 39 minutes at the Olsztyn Grand Slam, 21-16 and 21-17 in 39 minutes at the Porec Major, and 21-13 and 24-22 in 43 minutes at the Moscow Grand Slam.
Alison Cerutti/Bruno Oscar Schmidt, BRA, Seed #1, Pool A, Qualified as 2015 World Championship Gold Medalists
• Alison: December 7, 1985 (30y7m30d), 203 cm (6'8"), 110 kg (244 lbs.), Hometown Espirito Santo, 100th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 73rd), 20 gold medals (ranked 6th), $1,025,450 career winnings (ranks 5th).
• Bruno: October 6, 1986 (29y10m0d), 185 cm (6'1"), 87 kg (193 lbs.), Hometown Brasilia, 99th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 75th), 11 gold medals (ranks 14th), $743,025 career winnings (ranks 12th).
• Alison and Bruno have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 30th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together with nine gold medals (ranked 10th) and $892,500 in career winnings (ranked 7th).
• Alison has played in 54 FIVB World Tour final fours with 20 gold, 15 silver, 11 bronze medals and eight 4th place finishes.
• Bruno has played in 31 FIVB World Tour final fours with 11 gold, eight silver, four bronze medals and eight 4th place finishes.
• Alison and Bruno have played in 13 Final Fours in 2015-2016 (4th Moscow Grand Slam 2015, Gold The Hague World Championships 2015, Gold Gstaad Major Series 2015, Gold Yokohama Grand Slam 2015, Gold Long Beach Grand Slam 2015, Gold Olsztyn Grand Slam 2015, 4th Rio de Janeiro Open 2015, Gold Fort Lauderdale World Tour Finals 2015, Gold Vitória Open 2016, Silver Moscow Grand Slam 2016, 4th Hamburg Major Series 2016, Silver Olsztyn Grand Slam 2016, Gold Porec Major Series 2016).
• Alison won the silver medal in the Olympic Games with Emanuel Rego in 2012 (London).
• Alison and Bruno won the gold medal in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Alison won the silver medal in the FIVB World Championships with Harley Marques in 2009 (Stavanger), won gold in 2011 (Rome) and finished 4th in 2013 (Stare Jablonki), both with Emanuel Rego .
• Bruno finished 17th in the FIVB World Championship with Joao Maciel in 2009 (Stavanger), 9th with Benjamin Insfran in 2011 (Rome), and 5th with Pedro Solberg in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Alison and Bruno are currently ranked 10th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 4,140 points and 2nd in winnings with $206,000.
• Alison and Bruno have a career 144-37 (79.6%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 97-19 (83.6%) record in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period.
• Bruno won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Pedro Solberg in 2006 (Myslowice, Poland).
• Alison and Bruno were Team of the Year and Tour Points Champions in 2015.
• Alison was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2009, Best Blocker in 2011 and 2015, Best Hitter in 2011 and 2012, Best Offensive Player in 2011 and was Team of the Year and Tour Points Champion with Emanuel Rego in 2011.
• Bruno was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2010, Best Defensive Player in 2013, 2014, and 2015, Best Offensive Player in 2015, Most Outstanding in 2015, and Sportsperson in 2015.
• Alison is the heaviest men's player who has competed in any of the six Olympic Games at 110 kg (244 lbs.).
Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter, CAN, Seed #24, Pool A, Qualified from Continental Cup Finals
• Josh: January 12, 1981 (35y6m25d), 196 cm (6'5"), 98 kg (218 lbs.), Hometown Toronto, 72nd FIVB World Tour event, $114,312 career winnings.
• Sam: May 8, 1990 (26y2m29d), 198 cm (6'6"), 86 kg (191 lbs.), Hometown Richmond Hill, 45th FIVB World Tour event, $108,437 career winnings.
• Josh and Sam have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 31st FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together with one gold medal and $206,125 in career winnings (ranks 93rd).
• Josh has played in five FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold medal, three silver medals and one 4th place finish.
• Sam has played in five FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, three silver medals and one 4th place finish.
• Josh and Sam have played in two Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Silver Porec Major Series 2015, Silver Cincinnati Open 2016).
• Josh finished 17th in the Olympic Games with Martin Reader in 2012 (London).
• Josh and Sam finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Josh and Sam are currently ranked 23rd in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 3,010 points and 24th in winnings with $47,750.
• Josh and Sam have a career 75-64 (54.0%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 51-54 (48.6%) record in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period.
• Josh and Sam won a gold medal on the NORCECA Continental Tour in 2014 (Toronto, Canada) along with two other silver medals and one bronze medal in 2013-14.
• Josh won a gold medal on the NORCECA Continental Tour with Rich VanHuizen in 2011 (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) along with three other silver medals and two bronze medals with Matt Zbyszewski, Andrew Hinchey, and Martin Reader from 2009-12.
• Sam won a silver medal on the NORCECA Continental Tour with Maverick Hatch in 2012.
• Sam won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Garrett May in 2010 (Alanya, Turkey).