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Canada's top-ranked beach volleyball team of Pavan and Bansley split after Rio

2016 Rio Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Women's Quarterfinal - Beach Volleyball Arena - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 14/08/2016. Sarah Pavan (CAN) of Canada and Heather Bansley (CAN) of Canada compete. REUTERS/Adrees Latif (BRAZIL - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT VOLLEYBALL) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. (REUTERS)

Just weeks after playing in the Rio Olympics quarter-finals, Canada’s top-ranked beach volleyball team has called it quits.

Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley have decided to end their partnership ahead of the upcoming SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals, according to FIVB, the sport’s governing body.

“In a dramatic twist, Rio quarterfinalists Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan have decided to split,” the FIVB article says.

A spokesperson for Volleyball Canada also confirmed the split to Yahoo Canada Sports.

Pavan and Bansley have played together since 2013, deciding to partner up when Pavan, a former national indoor player, reached out to Bansley to inquire whether anyone was looking for a new beach partner. Bansley was and the team agreed to play together. 

They enjoyed a successful run over four seasons on the international stage, reaching seven FIVB World Tour podiums. They were the fifth-ranked team heading into the 2016 Summer Games. In their Olympic debut, the Canadian pair reached the quarter-finals in Rio before losing to the eventual gold-medal winning team of Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst from Germany. The Canadians would finish in fifth place.

No reason has yet been listed for their split, but further complicating the matter is the fact that prior to the breakup, the team of Pavan and Bansley were awarded a wild card into the World Tour Finals event, which takes place in Toronto from September 13-18.

Since only one team can receive a wild card into the main draw, the former teammates now become opponents as each will play with a new partner in a one-match playoff on the opening day of competition to earn that spot, the event's website says.

The 30-year-old Pavan, from Kitchener, will team up with 23-year-old Melissa Humana-Paredes for this event, while the 28-year-old Bansley, from London, will play with 24-year-old Brandie Wilkinson. The winning team gets the spot into the main draw. There's been no official word on new partnerships moving forward, a Volleyball Canada spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the three other teams that represented Canada in Rio are still intact and will take part in the hometown event. The other team on the women's side is Jamie Broder/Kristina Valjas, who were ousted by Pavan/Bansley in Rio, and in the men’s draw, the Canadians will be Ben Saxton/Chaim Schalk and Josh Binstock/Sam Schachter.