Vienna, Austria, August 3, 2017 – For eleven years, Brazilian Carol Salgado shared beach volleyball courts around the world with her sister Maria Clara. The Salgados decided to go separate ways in 2015, when both got pregnant, but Carol found herself a new Maria to compete with and the new team has been one of the most impressive of the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships presented by A1.
Carol and Maria Antonelli are still undefeated in Vienna and, with five straight wins, are qualified for the quarterfinals, where they will face fellow Brazilians and top-seeded Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca this Friday.
The duo has found some really good chemistry as the two have been playing together just since last May, when Carol invited Antonelli to share the court with her after short-term partnerships with Agatha Bednarczuk and Juliana Felisberta.
“It was really good playing with both players, but I felt I needed to be a blocker again and I’m glad Maria (Antonelli) said yes when I invited her,” Carol said. “The chemistry between us developed almost instantaneously and we already see ourselves as true partners, which is remarkable considering the short time we’ve been playing together. We are starting to figure out who we are as a team.”
The quick understanding between the Brazilians translated into early results as they won gold in just their second tournament together, the three-star FIVB World Tour stop in The Hague, in June, when they became only the second women’s team in history to win a gold medal after advancing through two rounds of qualification.
Even with Maria Clara not competing in the World Championships this year, the Salgados are not limited to Carol and her brother Pedro in Vienna as outside the courts the family is well represented by Carol’s husband Fernando and their two sons, José and Salvador.
“We have stayed in Europe for three weeks since we had the Olsztyn tournament before this one and I couldn’t stay away from them for such a long time,” Carol explained. “It means a lot to have them here, while hearing Jose cheering for us is one of the most amazing feelings I’ve ever had.”