Melissa Humana-Paredes

Humana-Paredes and Pavan won the gold medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships, defeating the American team of April Ross and Alix Klineman in straight-sets 2-0 (23-21, 23-21); for Canada's first medal ever at the event. This victory automatically qualified the Canadian pair for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. They achieved further success on the FIVB tour that summer with additional tournament wins at the Edmonton Open in late July, and at the Vienna Major in early August. These FIVB tour wins were followed by success on the AVP tour, with additional championship wins over Ross and Klineman at both the Manhattan Beach Open in mid-August and the Hawaii Open in late September.

Humana-Paredes competed at several Grand Slam and World Cup events, reaching the round of 16 at the 2015 Beach Volleyball World Championships and the semi-finals at the 2015 Pan American Games. From August 23–28, 2016, she competed with Pischke at the Long Beach, California, Grand Slam. Playing in Pool-A, they lost to Maria Antonelli and Lili of Brazil (21–11, 23–21), and April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings of the United States (21–16, 21–17) in straight sets. Playing against Carol and Ana Patrícia of Brazil, they won in straight sets (21–19, 26–24), placing them in 3rd in Pool-A.

In 2011, she won a silver medal at the FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships with Victoria Altomare. Years later, as Hernan talked with volleyball coach Garth Pischke, he learned his daughter Taylor wanted to join the beach volleyball scene and suggested that the two daughters be joined as a team. Both were trained by Child. The new pair led Humana-Paredes to win the bronze medal at the World Under-23 Championships and be named the top female rookie in 2015 by the International Federation of Volleyball.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Humana-Paredes is the younger daughter of two Chilean expatriates, ballet dancer Myriam Paredes and volleyball player Hernán Humaña, who was part of the national team and later coached Canadians John Child and Mark Heese to the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics. Humana-Paredes started playing beach volleyball at the age of 12 and four years later, was already representing Canada internationally. She attended York University, majoring in communications while playing with the York Lions volleyball team.

Melissa Humana-Paredes (born October 10, 1992) is a female Canadian beach volleyball player, who is partnered with Sarah Pavan. She plays as a left-side defender. The pair won the women's gold medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships.