From last to third in Moscow for Canadians Bansley & Pavan

Moscow, Russia, May 29, 2016 – Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan rebounded from one of their worst finishes on the FIVB World Tour to capture a bronze medal at the US$800,000 Moscow Grand Slam with a win here Sunday afternoon over Juliana Felisberta and Taiana Lima of Brazil.

Playing in the second of four Moscow Grand Slam medal matches Sunday at the Vodny Stadium Beach Sports Centre, the fifth-seeded Bansley and Pavan posted a 2-0 (21-16, 21-18) bronze medal win in 38 minutes over the sixth-seeded Juliana and Lima to capture their fifth FIVB World Tour podium placement in 33 international starts.

With the win in their first meeting with the Brazilians, Bansley and Pavan shared the $32,000 third-place prize.  A new team on the 2015-2016 FIVB World Tour, Juliana and Lima split $24,000 for fourth-place.  It also marked the first-time Juliana and Lima had played together away from Brazil as their previous four FIVB starts were at events in their South American country.

The “worst” was a 25th at last year’s Moscow Grand Slam where Bansley and Pavan did upset eventual gold medal winners Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca of Brazil in pool play, but the Canadians failed to advance from their group for an early elimination for the FIVB World Tour event.

“This was a good weekend for us,” said the 28-year old Bansley, “especially after what we did here last year along with …

continue reading in source www.fivb.org