Rio de Janeiro, August 13, 2016 - Canada's two women's teams go head to head in the round of 16 on day eight with Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan playing Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas for the seventh time in FIVB World Tour competition. Broder and Valjas will be looking for their first victory against their countrywomen. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals, and the loser will be eliminated with a 9th-place finish.
Head to Head
Bansley/Pavan have won all six meetings between the two teams on the FIVB World Tour, including a match in Rio in March, 2016
• Bansley/Pavan won 22-20, 17-21, and 15-13 in 53 minutes, Rio de Janeiro Grand Slam, Round of 16, 03/11/2016
• Bansley/Pavan won 21-19 and 21-16 in 37 minutes, Olsztyn Poland Grand Slam, Pool Play, 08/26/2015
• Bansley/Pavan won 22-20 and 21-14 in 43 minutes, Yokohama Grand Slam, Round of 16, 07/25/2015
• Bansley/Pavan won 21-13 and 21-14 in 33 minutes, Gstaad Major, Round of 16, 07/10/2015
• Bansley/Pavan won 21-12, 17-21, and 15-12 in 50 minutes, Stare Jablonki Grand Slam, Round of 24, 08/21/2014
• Bansley/Pavan won 9-21, 21-15, and 15-7 in 43 minutes, Moscow Grand Slam, Pool Play, 06/12/2014
Historically the #5 seed has never played the #16 seed in an Olympic Games.
Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, Canada, Seed #5, Pool E, 3-0, 1st Place, Qualified 5th with 6,150 Points in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period
• Heather: September 13, 1987 (28y10m24d), 170 cm (5'7"), 64 kg (142 lbs.), Hometown London, 68th FIVB World Tour event, $273,375 career winnings (ranks 60th)
• Sarah: August 16, 1986 (29y11m21d), 196 cm (6'5"), 75 kg (167 lbs.), Hometown Kitchener, 38th FIVB World Tour event, $228,225 career winnings (ranks 74th)
• Heather and Sarah have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 38th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together (ranks 88th), $456,450 career winnings (ranks 29th).
• Heather has played in seven FIVB World Tour final fours with three silver medals, three bronze medals and one 4th place finish.
• Sarah has played in seven FIVB World Tour final fours with three silver medals, three bronze medals and one 4th place finish.
• Heather and Sarah have played in seven Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Silver Prague Open 2015, Silver Porec Major 2015, Bronze Gstaad Major 2015, Bronze Yokohama Grand Slam 2015, 4th World Tour Finals 2015, Bronze Moscow Grand Slam 2016, Silver Porec Major Series 2016).
• Heather and Sarah finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 5th in 2015 (The Hague).
• Heather finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships with Elizabeth Maloney in 2011 (Rome).
• Heather and Sarah are currently ranked 16th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 3,160 points and 6th in winnings with $127,000.
• Heather and Sarah have a career 110-74 (59.8%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 74-34 (68.5%) record in 2015-16.
• Heather won gold medals on the NORCECA Continental Tour in 2010 (Boqueron, Puerto Rico) and 2011 (Guatemala City, Guatemala) along with one more silver and bronze medal, all with Elizabeth Maloney.
• Heather was named the FIVB World Tour Best Defensive Player in 2015.
• Sarah was named the FIVB World Tour Best Blocker in 2015.
• Sarah is the tallest women's player competing in the Rio Olympics at 196 cm (6'5"). She is tied for all-time tallest with Bibiana Candelas of Mexico who played in the 2008 Olympic Games.
• Sarah (196 cm) and Heather (170 cm) have the biggest height difference at 26 cm (10") of any women's team in any of the six Olympic Games.
• Sarah has also made her mark in the United States as one of only four players to be named a four-time college All-American during her career at Nebraska.
• Defeated Sophie van Gestel/Jantine van der Vlist, Netherlands (20), 21-15 and 21-17 in 39 minutes.
• Defeated Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland (17), 21-18 and 21-18 in 45 minutes.
• Defeated Karla Borger/Britta Buthe, Germany (8), 21-19 and 21-15 in 39 minutes.
Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas, Canada, Seed #16, Pool D, 2-1, 2nd Place, Qualified 13th with 4,640 Points in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period
• Jamie: June 8, 1985 (31y1m29d), 172 cm (5'8"), 65 kg (144 lbs.), Hometown Victoria, BC, 66th FIVB World Tour event, one gold medal, $149,412 career winnings
• Kristina: June 2, 1987 (29y2m4d), 188 cm (6'2"), 68 kg (151 lbs.), Hometown Toronto, 68th FIVB World Tour event, one gold medal, $146,412 career winnings
• Jamie and Kristina have been playing together since 2011. They are playing in their 58th FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together (ranks 38th), one gold medal, $292,825 career winnings (ranks 61st). They won Canada's only FIVB World Tour gold medal.
• Jamie has played in three FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold medal, one bronze medal and one 4th place finish.
• Kristina has played in three FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold medal, one bronze medals and one 4th place finish.
• Jamie and Kristina have played in three Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Gold Fuzhou Open 2015, Bronze Lucerne Open 2015, 4th Porec Major 2015).
• Jamie and Kristina finished 37th in the FIVB World Championships in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 17th in 2015 (The Hague).
• Jamie and Kristina are currently ranked 35th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 2,140 points and 26th in winnings with $51,000.
• Jamie and Kristina have a career 93-137 (40.4%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 49-63 (43.8%) record in 2015-16.
• Jamie and Kristina won the gold medal at the NORCECA Continental Championships in 2015 (Turtle Beach, Trinidad and Tobago) along with two other gold medals on the NORCECA Continental Tour (2013 Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands), (2013 Maracas Bay, Trinidad and Tobago).
• Defeated Laura Giombini/Marta Menegatti, Italy (9), 15-21, 21-18, and 15-9 in 56 minutes.
• Lost to Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst, Germany (4), 17-21 and 11-21 in 32 minutes.
• Defeated Doaa Elghobashy /Nada Meawad, Egypt (21), 21-12 and 21-16 in 28 minutes.