Upsets Abound at U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball

Media Contact: Tip Nunn
Phone: 303-526-0994
E-mail: TipNunn@comcast.net

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2010) – The Florida-based beach volleyball team of Adrian Carambula and Steve Growtowski pulled a major upset Saturday, posting a 15-13 win over the top-seeded team of Casey Patterson and Ty Loomis in quarterfinal action at the 2010 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball, which is being played this weekend at the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Carambula and Growtowski advanced to the semifinals of the Men's Open winners' bracket, where they will face a very tough test Sunday morning when they take on the defending Manhattan Beach Open champions Sean Rosenthal and Aaron Wachtfogel.

Patterson and Loomis won four titles on the Corona Light Wide Open tour this summer and took the championship at the prestigious Motherlode tournament in Aspen, Colo.

Sean Scott and Nick Lucena showed they could adjust to the bigger court and sideout scoring quickly Saturday, going undefeated on the day and advancing to the semifinals of the Men's Open division winners' bracket. They will face either Kevin Wong and Paul Baxter or Matt Prosser and Josh Binstock on Sunday morning. Prosser and Binstock upset the No. 2 seeds, Tim Wooliver and Colin Kaslow in play Saturday.

In the Women's Open division, Dianne Denecochea and Britany Hochevar went undefeated on the day and will face Tara Kuk and Brooke Sweat Sunday morning in the final of the Women's Open division winner's bracket. The winner will advance to the championship match.

It was not a good day for the top seeded players in the Women's Open division, as the top seeds Erin Gray and Kathryn Babcock were defeated in the quarterfinals and the No. 2 seeds Carla Imperatore and Heidi Ford lost in the first round. Both teams are working their way back through the contender's bracket.

Play in the double-elimination tournament continues Sunday at 9 a.m. with action in both the Men's and Women's Open Divisions. The Women's Open final is expected to be played at 1:30 p.m., with the Men's Open Championship set for approximately 3:30 p.m.

For more information on the U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball, visit www.usopenbeachvolleyball.com.

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, Nick Lucena, Sean Rosenthal, U.S. Open Beach, U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball