Three U.S. Beach Teams Alive in Consolation

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 29, 2010) – Three U.S. women’s beach teams remain alive in the consolation bracket and hope to advance to Saturday’s semifinals of the US$190,000 Sanya Open, part of the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, in Sanya, China.

The third-seeded U.S. team of Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) and Kerri Walsh (San Jose, Calif.) won its third-round match over U.S. compatriots Jen Kessy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.), ranked sixth, 2-1 (12-21, 21-16, 16-14) in 55 minutes on Friday.

However in the fourth round, Branagh and Walsh fell to the second-seeded German team of Laura Ludwig and Sara Goller, 2-1 (14-21, 21-14, 15-7) in 45 minutes.

The U.S. team won the first set 21-14, but Goller and Ludwig rebounded with a 21-14 victory in the second before cruising to a 15-7 win in the third set.

Walsh is competing internationally for the first time in more than two years, and had won 78 consecutive matches on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour entering the match against the German duo, with most coming alongside long-time partner Misty May-Treanor (Costa Mesa, Calif.). Goller and Ludwig had never defeated Walsh prior to the match in Sanya.

Branagh and Walsh will try to come back on Saturday and advance to the semifinals with a consolation victory. But they must wait to find out whom they will play.

However only one other U.S. team will be left after Saturday’s first set of consolation matches as Kessy and Ross will play the seventh-seeded U.S. team of Angie Akers (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Tyra Turner (Fort Meyers Beach, Fla.) for the chance to advance. The losing team will finish seventh.

Following their loss to Branagh and Walsh, Kessy and Ross came back to defeat their 16th-ranked U.S. compatriots Lauren Fendrick (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Brooke Hanson (Woodland Hills, Calif.), 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-9) in 53 minutes. Fendrick and Hanson, who won matches over teams from Japan and Russia in consolation on Friday, finish the tournament tied for ninth place.

Akers and Turner opened Friday with a loss to Goller and Ludwig, 2-1 (21-18, 18-21, 15-11) in 52 minutes. They came back to defeat Finland’s 12th-seeded Erika Nystrom and Emilia Nystrom, 21-15, 21-18 in 31 minutes.

The medal matches will be played on Sunday (Oct. 31).

For more information on the event, click here.

Tags: Beach, Beach Volleyball, FIVB World Tour