Rio de Janeiro, August 13, 2016 - Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel of the Netherlands will try to remain unbeaten against Switzerland's Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr in a round of 16 match of day eight. The Dutch have won all four meetings on the FIVB World Tour, but the two teams haven't played since August, 2015. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals, and the loser will be eliminated with a 9th-place finish.
Head to Head
Meppelink/Van Iersel have won all four meetings between the two teams on the FIVB World Tour, but they haven't played since August, 2015
• Meppelink/Van Iersel won 21-17 and 21-19 in 36 minutes, Olsztyn Poland Grand Slam, Pool Play, 08/26/2015
• Meppelink/Van Iersel won 21-13 and 24-22 in 45 minutes, Long Beach Grand Slam, Pool Play, 08/19/2015
• Meppelink/Van Iersel won 21-16 and 21-11 in 36 minutes, Lucerne Open, Round of 16, 05/15/2015
• Meppelink/Van Iersel won 21-15, 11-21, and 15-13 in 47 minutes, The Hague Grand Slam, Pool Play, 07/16/2014
Historically the #6 seed has never played the #17 seed in an Olympic Games.
Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel, Netherlands, Seed #6, Pool F, 2-1, 2nd Place, Qualified 6th with 5,920 Points in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period
• Madelein: November 29, 1989 (26y8m8d), 183 cm (6'0"), 73 kg (162 lbs.), Hometown Rhenen, 77th FIVB World Tour event, one gold medal, $363,537 career winnings (ranks 44th)
• Marleen: January 7, 1988 (28y6m30d), 178 cm (5'10"), 70 kg (155 lbs.), Hometown Breda, 106th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 48th), two gold medals, $514,587 career winnings (ranks 21st)
• Madelein and Marleen have been playing together since 2014. They are playing in their 31st FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together, $467,375 career winnings (ranks 26th).
• Madelein has played in 14 FIVB World Tour final fours with one gold, five silver, four bronze medals and four 4th place finishes.
• Marleen has played in 22 FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold, five silver, seven bronze medals and eight 4th place finishes.
• Madelein and Marleen have played in seven Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Silver Lucerne Open 2015, Silver Moscow Grand Slam 2015, Bronze Stavanger Major 2015, Silver Olsztyn Grand Slam 2015, Bronze Rio de Janeiro Open 2015, Silver Maceió Open 2016, 4th Gstaad Major 2016).
• Madelein finished 9th in the Olympic Games with Sophie van Gestel in 2012 (London).
• Marleen finished 9th in the Olympic Games with Sanne Keizer in 2012 (London).
• Madelein and Marleen finished 9th in the FIVB World Championships in 2015 (The Hague).
• Madelein finished 37th in the FIVB World Championships with Marloes Wesselink in 2011 (Rome) and 17th with Sophie van Gestel in 2013 (Stare Jablonki).
• Marleen finished 5th in the FIVB World Championships in 2009 (Stavanger), 9th in 2011 (Rome), and 9th in 2013 (Stare Jablonki), all with Sanne Keizer.
• Madelein and Marleen are currently ranked 14th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 3,230 points and 10th in winnings with $98,375.
• Madelein and Marleen have a career 112-55 (67.1%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 71-36 (66.4%) record in 2015-16.
• Madelein and Marleen won the gold medal at the European (CEV) Continental Championship in 2014 (Cagliari, Italy).
• Madelein won a bronze medal on the CEV Continental Tour with Marloes Wesselink in 2011 (Niechorze, Poland).
• Marleen won the silver medal at the U19 World Championships with Danielle Remmers in 2006 (Bermuda, Bermuda).
• Marleen won bronze medals at the U21 World Championships with Marloes Wesselink in 2006 (Myslowice, Poland) and 2007 (Modena, Italy).
• Marleen won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Danielle Remmers in 2008 (Brighton, England).
• Marleen won the gold medal at the CEV Continental Championships with Sanne Keizer in 2012 (The Hague, Netherlands) and one other bronze medal on the CEV Continental Tour with Marloes Wesslink in 2007 (The Hague, Netherlands).
• Marleen was named the FIVB World Tour Most Improved Player in 2009, Best Server in 2010, and Best Setter in 2015.
• Defeated Norisbeth Agudo/Olaya Pazo, Venezuela (19), 21-17 and 21-11 in 33 minutes.
• Defeated Natalia Alfaro/Karen Charles, Costa Rica (18), 21-16 and 21-16 in 36 minutes.
• Lost to Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy, Australia (7), 25-27, 21-18, and 14-16 in 60 minutes.
Joana Heidrich/Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland, Seed #17, Pool E, 2-1, 2nd Place, Qualified 14th with 4,620 Points in the 2015-16 Olympic qualification period
• Joana: October 2, 1991 (24y10m4d), 190 cm (6'3"), 72 kg (160 lbs.), Hometown Zürich, 59th FIVB World Tour event, two gold medals, $189,250 career winnings (ranks 94th)
• Nadine: February 5, 1985 (31y6m1d), 172 cm (5'8"), 64 kg (142 lbs.), Hometown Frutigen, 120th FIVB World Tour event (ranks 24th), four gold medals, $381,300 career winnings (ranks 38th)
• Joana and Nadine have been playing together since 2013. They are playing in their 43rd FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament together (ranks 68th), two gold medals, $350,300 career winnings (ranks 45th).
• Joana has played in five FIVB World Tour final fours with two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
• Nadine has played in nine FIVB World Tour final fours with four gold, one silver, three bronze medals and one 4th place finish.
• Joana and Nadine have played in five Final Fours in 2015-2016 (Bronze Sochi Open 2015, Gold Xiamen Open 2015, Bronze Fuzhou Open 2016, Gold Sochi Open 2016, Silver Klagenfurt Major 2016).
• Nadine finished 9th in the Olympic Games with Simone Kuhn in 2012 (London).
• Joana and Nadine finished 17th in the FIVB World Championships in 2013 (Stare Jablonki) and 33rd in 2015 (The Hague).
• Nadine finished 37th in the FIVB World Championships with Annik Skrivan in 2007 (Gstaad) and 17th in 2009 (Stavanger) and 17th in 2011 (Rome), both with Simone Kuhn.
• Joana and Nadine are currently ranked 11th in FIVB World Tour points in 2016 with 3,940 points and 7th in winnings with $111,150.
• Joana and Nadine have a career 113-88 (56.2%) match record in FIVB World Tour Events and a 75-45 (62.5%) record in 2015-16.
• Joana and Nadine have won one gold medal and one silver medal on the European (CEV) Continental Tour.
• Joana Heidrich won the gold medal at the U21 World Championships with Nina Betschart in 2011 (Halifax, Canada).
• Nadine won the bronze medal at the CEV Continental Championships with Simone Kuhn in 2009 (Sochi, Russia).
• Defeated Karla Borger/Britta Buthe, Germany (8), 21-12 and 21-16 in 38 minutes.
• Lost to Heather Bansley/Sarah Pavan, Canada (5), 18-21 and 18-21 in 45 minutes.
• Defeated Jantine van der Vlist/Sophie van Gestel, Netherlands (20), 17-21, 21-11, and 15-8 in 48 minutes.