Rio beach volleyball schedule: Time, TV schedule and live stream for Wednesday

With Kerri Walsh Jennings out of the running, the 2016 Summer Olympics will crown two new queens of the beach. Will that be the Brazilian duo of Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixus? Or will upstart Germans Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst begin their own dominant streak on the sand?

The two teams will vie for the top spot on the 2016 Summer Olympic podium, and it’s shaping up to be a battle.

Agatha and Barbara were able to do what no team ever had in Olympic play; defeat Walsh Jennings. The American’s record had been spotless through nearly four Olympiads before the Brazilian duo found a way to seemingly cover every inch of sand with ridiculous digs and pinpoint kills to win in straight sets. The hometown crowd by the water was whipped up into a frenzy each time Agatha and Barbara made a play, and that advantage is certain to play a role in Wednesday’s late night batter.

The Germans were the first team to derail the Brazilian juggernaut of Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes at the 2016 Summer Olympics. The pair had won five straight games in front of a home crowd in Rio, dropping only a single set along the way. That momentum came to a crashing halt against Ludwig and Walkenhorst, who broke the Brazilian favorites with a 21-18 win in the first set and then demoralized the fans at Copacabana Beach with a dominant 21-12 victory in the second.

Now, Agatha and Barbara can avenge their countrywomen by winning gold. Do Ludwig and Walkenhorst have another dynamic performance in them? Or will the momentum of the home team be too much?

2016 Rio Olympics beach volleyball finals coverage for Wednesday, August 17
All times Eastern (click for streaming info)

Beach Volleyball Finals

Bronze medal match: 9 p.m. (NBC) - Larissa-Talita (BRA) vs. Walsh Jennings-Ross (NBC Sports Stream)

Gold medal match: 11 p.m. (NBC) - Ludwig-Walkenhorst (GER) vs. Agatha-Barbara (NBC Sports Stream)