A surprising victory was achieved by Ontario pair Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett as they advanced to the men’s semifinals at the Elite16 beach volleyball tournament in Montreal.
The Canadians, ranked 39th, defeated the world’s top-ranked team of Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson with a 2-0 score (21-19, 21-17) during the quarterfinal match at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saturday.
Hailing from Richmond Hill, Ont., Schachter and Wiarton, Ont.’s Pickett also beat Austria’s Alexander Horst and Paul Pascariuc earlier in the day.
The duo is set to compete against Renato Andrew Lima de Carvalho and Andre Stein from Brazil in the semifinals on Sunday morning.
Witness Sweden’s Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson take on Canada’s Samuel Schachter and Jonathan Pickett at the 2026 World Volleyball Beach Pro Tour Elite 16 Montreal.
Meanwhile, Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, representing Canada, continue their pursuit of a third consecutive title in the women’s competition.
The Toronto team will go up against Latvia’s Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka in the quarterfinals.
Having secured victories in 2023 and 2025, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson, who also won an Olympic silver medal during this period, are aiming for another championship.