Kessy, Ross Secure Shanghai Semifinal Berth

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 7, 2010) – The U.S. women’s beach volleyball team of Jen Kessy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) has advanced to Saturday’s semifinals of the Shanghai Open, part of the SWATCH FIVB World Tour.

The U.S. women’s teams of Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) and Misty May-Treanor (Costa Mesa, Calif.) along with Angie Akers (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Tyra Turner (Fort Myers Beach, Fla.) remain alive in the consolation bracket.

Kessy and Ross, the tournament’s third-seeded team, opened play on Friday by defeating sixth-ranked May-Treanor and Branagh, 21-19, 21-19 in 44 minutes in the third round.

In the fourth round, Kessy and Ross played the longest match of the women’s tournament thus far (1 hour, 3 minutes) in defeating Brazil’s second-seeded Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes, 20-22, 21-16, 17-15.

"We’re working on adjusting to our new plans for this season,” Ross told the FIVB. “In the match with the Brazilians, I was setting too tight in the first set and we have been working on adjusting during a match. We also installed a new offense this year so we are still finding our rhythm. While we are still figuring things out, it’s a good position to be in going into the semis.”

Brazil’s top-seeded Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca will play in the other semifinal match on Saturday. The women’s medal matches will be played on Sunday.

After losing to Kessy and Ross in the third round, May-Treanor and Branagh came back to defeat Brazil’s eighth-seeded Maria Clara Salgado and Carolina Salgado in consolation, 2-1 (21-14, 21-23, 15-12) in 57 minutes.

They will play 28th-ranked Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova of Czech Republic in the fifth round of consolation on Saturday. Akers and Turner will play the winner of that match.

Akers and Turner made it through the third round on Friday by defeating Austria’s 12th-seeded Barbara Hansel and Sara Montagnolli, 21-16, 21-19 in 39 minutes. However they fell to consolation after losing to Juliana and Larissa, 21-14, 21-16 in 38 minutes in the fourth round.

On the men’s side, top-seeded Phil Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.) had Friday off, but found out they will play Brazil’s fifth-ranked Pedro Salgado and Harley Marques in Saturday’s semifinal.

Brazil’s third-seeded Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego will face Germany’s fourth-ranked Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann in the other semifinal. The medal matches will also be played Saturday.

For more information about the FIVB World Tour event in Brazil, visit the SWATCH FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour web site.

Tags: Angie Akers, April Ross, Beach, Beach Volleyball, Jennifer Kessy, Misty May-Treanor, Nicole Branagh, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rogers, Tyra Turner, U.S. Beach Team, U.S. Men's Beach Team, U.S. Women's Beach Team