U.S. Guaranteed Shanghai Women's Beach Medal

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 8, 2010) – The U.S. men’s beach volleyball team of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers finished fourth at the Shanghai Open on Saturday, but the United States is guaranteed at least one medal from the women’s bracket.

The $US380,000 Shanghai Open is the second stop on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour.

After losing only one set on their way to the semifinals, Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.), the top seeds in the men’s bracket in Shanghai, lost to Brazil’s fifth-ranked Pedro Salgado and Harley Marques in the semis, 21-18, 21-13 in 40 minutes.

In the bronze-medal match, Brazil’s third-seeded Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego, who lost to Dalhausser and Rogers in the gold medal match in Brazil last week, topped the U.S. team, 2-1 (21-16, 12-21, 15-13) in 50 minutes on Saturday.

Pedro and Harley defeated Germany’s Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann, 2-1 (21-15, 13-21, 17-15) in 1 hour, 2 minutes in the gold medal match.

In the women’s bracket, the U.S. women’s beach volleyball team of Jen Kessy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.), seeded third, will play their sixth-seeded compatriots Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) and Misty May-Treanor (Costa Mesa, Calif.) in Sunday’s semifinal.

In Sunday’s other semifinal second-seeded Maria Antonelli and Talita Antunes will meet fellow Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca, the tournament’s top seeds.

The medal matches will also be played on Sunday.

Branagh and May-Treanor advanced to Sunday’s semifinals with a two-set quarterfinal victory over the fourth-seeded U.S. team of Angie Akers (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Tyra Turner (Fort Myers Beach, Fla.), 21-11, 21-12 in 31 minutes. Akers and Turner finish the tournament tied for fifth.

Branagh and May-Treanor reached the quarterfinals by defeating 28th-ranked Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa Slukova of Czech Republic in the fifth round of consolation, 2-1 (21-10, 19-21, 15-12)  in 49 minutes.

“We are getting more and more into our rhythm every match we play and against the Czech team we clearly showed this in the end,” Branagh told the FIVB of her first season of partnership with May-Treanor.

“It was a tough match, but they are all supposed to be hard on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour. We are getting better and in particular Misty had some great digs in this match and I came up with some plays at the net to compliment her so we are able to play another day in Shanghai and to be in contention for a medal this soon after starting playing together which is remarkable against these teams.”

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, U.S. Beach Team, U.S. Men's Beach Team, U.S. Women's Beach Team