The Hague, The Netherlands, July 2, 2015 - Playing against the reigning European champions and handling the pressure of competing for a spot in the quarter-finals at the e 2015 FIVB “senior” Beach Volleyball World Championships, 17th-seeded Louise Bawden/Taliqua Clancy of Australia scored a 2-1 (24-22, 16-21, 15-12) win in 60 minutes over top-seeded Madelein Meppelink/Marleen Van Iersel of The Netherlands on the sand of The Hofvijver stadium court here Thursday afternoon.
It was the fifth meeting between the two teams as the Australians won for the third-time by avenging two setbacks to Meppelink and Van Iersel three weeks ago in the Norwegian Major in Stavanger. With the win, Bawden and Clancy advance to a Thursday evening “Elite 8” match against ninth-seeded Fernanda Alves and Taiana Lima of Brazil.
The match will be the second in the past 12 days between the two teams as Fernanda and Lima posted a June 20 pool play win (2-0, 21-19, 21-12 in 38 minutes over Bawden and Clancy in the United States Grand Slam in St. Petersburg, Fla. Fernanda and Lima finished third in the American event while the Aussies finished 17th.
Bawden and Clancy, who finished second to ninth-seeded Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandez of Spain in Pool H this week, are playing in their 27th FIVB World Tour event. The Australians are guaranteed their best finish together in the world championships after placing 17th in 2013 in Stare Jablonki, Poland. With Clancy is appearing in her second world championships, Bawden and Becchara Palmer were ninth in the 2011 event in Rome.
Thursday’s match against the Brazilians will be Bawden and Clancy’s seventh quarter-final appearance on the FIVB World Tour. The Aussies were victorious once nearly a month ago in Croatia where Bawden and Clancy defeated Meppelink and Van Iersel in pool play and eventually captured the bronze medal at the Porec Major.