North American nation decides which teams will head to Hamburg

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Volleyball Canada have put forward two teams to represent the country this year’s Beach Volleyball World Championships presented by comdirect and ALDI Nord.

As part of the NORCECA qualification process, the four highest ranked National Federations on the NORCECA Beach Tour each earn that country one spot per gender at the championships. Canada – as well as the USA, Mexico and Cuba – earned that right, and this weekend saw trials take place to determine which teams would qualify.

On Friday Megan and I earned a spot at the World Championships in Hamburg, Germany this summer 🏐🇨🇦 So excited for the opportunity!

2,334 Likes, 31 Comments - Nicole McNamara (@nicolecmcnamara) on Instagram: "On Friday Megan and I earned a spot at the World Championships in Hamburg, Germany this summer 🏐🇨🇦..."

In the women’s trials, twin sisters Nicole and Megan McNamara qualified for their first ever senior World Championships by finishing ahead of Taylor Pischke and Sophie Bukovec.

The 21-year-old siblings were silver medalists at the 2016 Under-21 World Championships and won bronze at the Under-19 Worlds in 2014. The duo have already tasted success in Germany, too, winning the World University championships in Munich in July 2018.

Meanwhile, the men’s qualifiers are experienced FIVB World Tour regulars Ben Saxton and Grant O’Gorman.

The pair, who have played 16 international events together having joined forces at the start of the 2018 season, got the better of Sam Schachter and Sam Pedlow in the weekend’s trials.

🇨🇦 trials winners! We are coming for you World Championships! Great teamwork got us the win in Toronto. @bensaxton13 @credmann @naterasport #winning #canadiannationals #beachvolleyball #first #hamburg #toronto

451 Likes, 21 Comments - Grant O'Gorman (@instagrant1234) on Instagram: "🇨🇦 trials winners! We are coming for you World Championships! Great teamwork got us the win in..."

O’Gorman will make his World Championship debut, but Saxton is in line for his fifth appearance in the finals. In 2017 Saxton and former teammate Chaim Schalk eliminated reigning champions Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt on their way to a fifth-place finish in Vienna.

Pedlow and Schachter, meanwhile, can still qualify for Hamburg through the FIVB World Rankings. The Commonwealth Games silver medalists currently sit 18th in the standings with the top 23 teams guaranteed to progress to the Rothenbaum.

Canada already have teams consisting of Heather Bansley/Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes/Sarah Pavan assured of a spot with the tandems currently sitting first and second in the rankings.