Hunkus, Romias Win Women's IDQ Title

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org   

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 29, 2010) – Tealle Hunkus and Julie Romias won the women’s bracket while the men’s bracket finished in a tie at the second of four 2010 USA Volleyball beach International Development Qualifier (IDQ) events held March 27-28 in Long Beach, Calif.

Hunkus (Girard, Ohio) and Romias (Lisle, Ohio) defeated Saralyn Smith (Key West, Fla.) and Heather Lowe (Cypress, Calif.) in the women’s final, 21-17, 21-17.

“It was my first event back after missing 2009 due to shoulder surgery,” Romias said. “I was really nervous before the first match, but we gained confidence pretty quickly.”

Hunkus has now competed in four IDQ events, but this was the first time competing with Romias, who is actually Dr. Julie Romias MD and used to set for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team as Julie Bremner.

“I have to give my new partner Julie a lot of credit,” Hunkus said. “We’re a good fit.

“I got to go to the FIVB event in Finland last year as part of the U.s. U26 team and am going to the NORCECA event in the Dominican Republic next week (April 2-4 in Boca Chica). I am looking forward to more opportunities to represent the United States.

In the third-place women’s match, Lynne Brinkman Galli (San Diego, Calif.) and Kelly Bruning (Mesa, Ariz.) won over Sara Dukes (Danville, Calif.) and Lindsey Yamasaki (Oregon City, Ore.) due to an injury forfeit.

In the semifinals, Smith and Lowe defeated Brinkman Galli and Bruning, 24-22, 21-29. Hunkus and Romias won their semifinal against Dukes and Yamasaki due to injury forfeit.

The women’s teams have not yet determined which NORCECA Beach Circuit events they would like to attend.

The men’s final match, which had Kevin Beukema (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) and Kevin Gregan (White Plains, Md.) facing Tim Church (Springfield, Mass.) and Dana Camacho (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), was called due to darkness.

The third-place match between the team of Marcin Jagoda (Tarzana, Calif.) and Stafford Slick (Andover, Minn.) and the team of Jeremie Holmes (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Ivan Mercer (Antelope, Calif.) was also called due to darkness.

It was determined that Church and Camacho would play at the NORCECA event in Boqueron, Puerto Rico (July 2-4), Beukema and Gregan would play in San Diego, and Jagoda/Slick and Holmes/Mercer will compete in Campeche, Mexico.

“We were a bit disappointed that we ran out of light and couldn’t play the final,” Church said. “But since we beat Beukema-Gregan earlier today, we feel like a first place team.

“Our goal was to qualify for the NORCECA event in Puerto Rico, and since Beukema and Gregan wanted to qualify for NORCECA San Diego, it all worked out.”

In the men's semifinals, Beukema and Gregan defeated Jagoda and Slick, 21-19, 10-21, 15-10 while Camacho and Church beat Holmes and Mercer, 18-21, 22-20, 15-10.

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, International Development Qualifiers, NORCECA Beach Circuit