Santiago 2023 - Brazil's Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa claim women's beach volleyball Pan Am gold

Brazil's Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa fought off a tough challenge from Team Canada's Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes Friday evening (27 October 2023) to claim Pan American Games gold in women's beach volleyball.

Ramos and Lisboa won 2-0, taking the first set at 22-20 and the second at 18-21. The duo are the 2014 Youth Olympic Games champions in girls' beach volleyball, as well.

They came in to these Games in Santiago, Chile, on a hotstreak, having claimed the World silver medal earlier this month in Mexico.

For Team Canada, the medal is a first for the nation at the Pan Ams in women's beach volleyball.

"We got a medal for Canada in the women's side for the first time ever in the Pan Am Games," Humana-Paredes told Olympics.com afterward. "I think, you know, we're chipping away at some big legacies that we want to leave behind in our sport and for our country."

Earlier in the day Corinne Quiggle and Sarah Murphy of the United States took bronze, defeating Argentina's Ana Maria Gallay and Fernanda Gabriela Pereyra.

The women's final started with a close, 22-minute first set that saw the Canadians and Brazilians draw even time and again. A big hit from Wilkerson gave the Canadians the first set point of the match at 20-19, but they couldn't capitalize as the score equalized at 20-20.

A miss hit from Wilkerson gave Ramos and Lisboa a set point and they took advantage to close out the first set.

The second set was equally as close but errors late from the Canadians opened the door for Brazil who closed out the gold.

"I think we had really good next play mentality, of just making every point count and really sticking to our game plan," said Wilkerson. "And also expecting it to be a tight game, that's what it takes at high levels. That's what usually games look like. So, it's exciting to be there because that's the kind of volleyball we want to play. It's those last few points and those errors here and there that go your way or don't. I know next time it'll be ours."

Loyola and Souto add more Brazilian gold

Andre Loyola and George Souto took gold in the men's tournament, as Brazil swept the beach titles in Santiago.

Loyola and Souto defeated Cuba's Jorge Alayo and Noslen Diaz 2-1.

In the bronze medal match, a boisterous Chilean crowd helped lift hometown heroes - and cousins - Esteban and Marco Grimalt to the podium and past Americans Logan Webber and Hagen Smith.