Kingaroy beach volleyballer has her sights set on Olympic gold

Kingaroy and Canada are locations not known for their beach volleyball but the two squared off this week in the Tokyo Olympic quarter finals. Now Taliqua Clancy is one step closer to gold.

GAME SET: Aussie teammates Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy celebrate their win over Team Canada in the women’s beach volleyball quarterfinal of the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Getty Images.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: The rolling red soil plains of Kingaroy and the snowy fields of Canada make for a strange beach volleyball pairing.

However, the two paired neatly together on Tuesday night when Kingaroy’s Taliqua Clancy and Aussie teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar combined to beat world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes of Team Canada in the Tokyo Olympics beach volleyball quarterfinals.

The Aussie duo started in red hot form quickly establishing a 5-1 lead and forcing Canada into an early time-out.

Australia then went on to win the first set 21-15 – the first time Canada has dropped a set in their last four Olympic Games.

Despite Australia’s early dominance, Canada didn’t back down – fighting back to claim a gritty 21-19 win in the second set to force a decider.

Australia stuck to their game plan and their excellent serving proved to be the difference as they won the third set 15-12.

Clancy said the team expected a tough match but felt the time was right for them to shine.

“We are a high quality team,” Clancy said on the Australian Olympic Committee website.

“We knew it was going to be a tough match, but it was such a great opportunity that we got to take on that battle and qualify for the semi-finals.

“We’re on such a high right now.

“I had no doubt we would be here but it’s so nice to be able to be here and enjoy this moment that we’re in.

“In this temperature and humidity, it’s such a serving game. There’s a lot of aces and a lot of amazing serves.

“We’re a great serving team.

“That’s one of our skills, so we’re just happy that we were able to take another step forward.”

The pair are the first Australian volleyballers to reach an Olympic semi-final since Nat Cook and Nicole Sanderson in Athens 2004 and will face Lativa at 11am AEST Thursday, August 5.