Above: Melissa Humana-Paredes (left) with partner Taylor Pischke after winning bronze medals at the 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball U23 World Championships. Photograph by Conny Kurth
Former York University Lions women’s volleyball player Melissa Humana-Paredes has been named to the Canadian beach volleyball team for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto this summer.
Humana-Paredes, a Toronto native, will play alongside longtime partner Taylor Pischke, who is from Winnipeg. The two of them are rising stars on the beach volleyball circuit and are currently ranked No. 10 in the world. They have represented Canada at multiple international events, winning bronze medals at the FIVB world U23 championships in back-to-back years (2013-14) and finishing fourth at the 27th Summer Universiade in 2013.
The duo also won the NORCECA championship last year and have twice finished fifth at World Tour events this season, in Fuzhou, China, and Sao Paolo, Brazil. Humana-Paredes was also named the FIVB rookie of the year in 2014.
Both of them also had standout varsity careers. While with the Lions, Humana-Paredes was an Ontario University Athletics all-star three times and a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) all-Canadian in 2012, and also earned York’s female athlete of the year that same season. Pischke played for the Manitoba Bison and helped them win the CIS gold medal in 2014.
The beach volleyball competition will run from July 13 to 21 at the Chevrolet Beach Volleyball Centre at CIBC Pan Am Park.