U.S. Open of Beach: Wide Open Results from Galveston, Texas

Tip Nunn
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Austin Team Captures Men’s Open at Corona Light Wide Open in Galveston;
Kaslow and Wooliver Get Revenge on California Team in the Final

GALVESTON, TEXAS (May 23, 2010) – Colin Kaslow and Tim Wooliver may have lost to Kevin McCulloch and Mike Placek on Saturday, but when it counted, they emerged victorious on Sunday, taking home the Men’s Open division championship with a 15-10 win in the Corona Light Wide Open on Sunday at Stewart Beach in Galveston.

Kaslow and Wooliver, both from Austin, Texas, had lost to the San Diego-based team of McCulloch and Placek in the final of the winner’s bracket Saturday in the double elimination tournament, but fought their way back through the contender’s bracket Sunday to earn a spot in the final, and another chance against the Californians on Sunday. 

In a 45-minute match that showcased some great defense on both sides of the net, it was Kaslow and Wooliver who had the better ball control, the bigger digs and the softer touch on Sunday. With the win, the Austin-based team earned an automatic berth into the 2010 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball, which will be played Sept. 17-19 in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Two co-ed divisional titles were awarded Sunday, with John Ray and Susan Argue, both from Houston, taking the Co-Ed Open division and the Clear Lake, Texas team of Monie Trevathan and Raymond Nelms, won the Co-ed BB division.
 
Other teams winning titles in Galveston included the Houston team of Mario Perez and Matt Arnold in the Men’s A division. The Women’s BB crown was taken by Sherry Taylor, from Katy, Texas and Courtney Mallow, of Deerfield, Texas.

Winners in up to eight of the two-person divisions earn an automatic berth into the 2010 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball, which will be played Sept. 17–19, in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Galveston is the second of nine Corona Light Wide Open stops in 2010.  Other events are set for Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Siesta Key, Fla., Huntington Beach, Calif., Santa Cruz, Calif., Chicago, Ill., Breckenridge, Colo., Long Island, N. Y. and Pt. Pleasant, N. J.

Corona Light Wide Open
Winners from Galveston, Texas May 22-23

Men’s Open – Colin Kaslow, Austin, Texas and Tim Wooliver, Austin, Texas
Women’s Open – Erin Gray, Chicago, Ill. and Kathryn Babcock,
Co-ed Open – John Ray, Houston, Texas and Susan Argue, Houston, Texas
Men’s A – Mario Perez, Houston, Texas and Matt Arnold, Houston, Texas
Men’s BB – David Richie, Katy, Texas and Viet Nguyen, Katy, Texas.
Women’s A – Jenna Brown, Houston, Texas and Helen Ekadeli, Houston, Texas
Women’s BB – Sherry Taylor, from Katy, Texas and Courtney Mallow, of Deerfield, Texas
Co-ed BB – Monie Trevathan, Clear Lake, Texas and Raymond Nelms, Clear Lake, Texas

Chicago Team Captures Women’s Open Division

GALVESTON, Texas (May 22, 2010) – The Chicago team of Erin Gray and Kathryn Babcock captured the Women’s Open division at the Corona Light Wide Open Saturday, defeating Erika Rodriguez and Bruna Figueiredo, 15-7, in action Saturday at Stewart Beach.

Gray and Babcock, who won the Corona Light Wide Open event last year in Grand Haven, Mich., earned an automatic berth into the 2010 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball, which will be played this September in Manhattan Beach, Calif. The win in the final was the second match of the day where the two finalists faced off.  Earlier Saturday Gray and Babcock took out Rodriguez and Figueiredo, both from Austin, Texas, in the final of the winner’s bracket, 15-6, forcing the Austin team to battle back through the contenders bracket to reach the final.

Several lower division battles were settled late Saturday. Jenna Brown and Helen Ekadeli, from Houston, won the Women’s A division and Sherry Taylor, from Katy, Texas and Courtney Mallow, of Deerfield, Texas won the Women’s BB division. The Men’s BB champions were David Rickie and Viet Nguyen, of Katy, Texas.

Winners in up to eight of the two-person divisions earn an automatic berth into the 2010 US Open of Beach Volleyball, which will be played Sept. 17–19 in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Galveston is the second of nine Corona Light Wide Open stops in 2010.  Other events are set for Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Siesta Key, Fla., Huntington Beach, Calif., Santa Cruz, Calif., Chicago, Ill., Breckenridge, Colo., Long Island, N. Y. and Pt. Pleasant, N. J.

More information is available at www.coronalightwideopen.com.

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball