Nigeria‘s women’s beach volleyball pair, Pamela Bawa and Joy Lawrence, have been eliminated from the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in Tuesday’s quarter-final.
The Nigerian duo fell 21-14, 21-16 to Dutch pair Jara Both and Matilda de Groot at Saly Beach West, ending their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Both and de Groot maintained their unbeaten record in sets at the tournament to advance to the last four, where they will continue their pursuit of a place on the podium.
Nigeria’s campaign ends in the last eightBawa and Lawrence entered the quarter-final with confidence after securing a convincing 2-0 victory over Thailand in Monday’s round-of-16 encounter.
The Nigerians won the opening set 21-16 before sealing their passage into the quarter-finals with a 21-13 victory in the second set.
However, they were unable to reproduce that performance against the Netherlands, who controlled the contest to secure a straight-sets victory and book their place in the semi-finals.
The defeat brought Nigeria’s campaign in the girls’ beach volleyball event to an end, denying the pair an opportunity to compete for a medal.
Bawa builds on international experienceDespite the quarter-final exit, Dakar 2026 provided another valuable opportunity for Nigeria’s young beach volleyball players to gain experience against international opposition.
Bawa, who was 15 at the time of the Games, has already enjoyed success on the continental stage. She partnered Esther Mbah to win the 2026 CAVB African Beach Volleyball Championship, securing an African quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
At Dakar 2026, she reunited with Lawrence, her former partner with whom she won the African Under-18 Championship and African Youth Games titles in 2025.
Speaking to Volleyball World ahead of the competition, Bawa described the Youth Olympic Games as an opportunity to learn, improve and prepare for the demands of senior international volleyball. She also expressed her ambition to reach the podium in Dakar.
Although the quarter-final defeat ended their title challenge, the experience adds to the pair’s development and international exposure.
Netherlands set up China semi-final clashThe Dutch duo will face China’s Ming Zhuang and Siyu Qi in the semi-finals after the Chinese pair also secured a straight-sets victory in their quarter-final.
Both teams will now battle for a place in the final as the girls’ beach volleyball competition enters its decisive stage.
The medal matches are scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, as the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games continue in Senegal.