U.S. Women Move to Semifinals in Dominican Republic

B.J. Hoeptner Evans April 19, 2011

4-18_pavlik_dives_w_kropp

Photo: Courtesy of the FIVB

Whitney Pavlik dives for the ball as partner Jenny Kropp watches during their match on April 18 in Dominican Republic.

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 19, 2011) – Two U.S. women’s beach teams advanced to the semifinals of the NORCECA Central Zone Phase of the Women’s Continental Cup after winning a total of four matches over teams from the host country of Dominican Republic on Monday in Boca Chica.

The USA-A women’s team of Ashley Ivy (Arlington, Texas) and Lisa Rutledge (Vista, Calif.) defeated DR-B Yudelka Bonilla and Isis Silverio, 21-19, 21-17, and won, 21-16, 21-15, over DR-A Gina and Ginette Del Rosario.

The USA-B women’s team of Whitney Pavlik (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and Jenny Kropp (Grand Island, Neb.) beat the Del Rosarios, 21-15, 22-20 and won 21-15, 21-16 against Bonilla and Silverio.

The Canadian women’s teams of Annie Martin and Marie-Andre Lessard (Canada-A) and Heather Bansley and Liz Maloney (Canada-B) also advanced to the semifinals after defeating teams from Mexico on Monday.

The U.S. women will play teams from Cuba (Niriam Sinal/Ion Canet and Imara Estevez/Kirenia Martinez) on Tuesday. Canada will face Puerto Rico (Yarleen Santiago/Dariam Acevedo and Beatriz Rivera/Tatiana Encarnacion).

The U.S. men’s beach teams competing in the Dominican did not fare as well on Monday.

Stevo VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.) and Matt McKinney (Santa Ynez, Calif.) of USA-A fell to Christian Redman and Ben Saxton of Canada-A, 21-16, 21-19. They lost to Martin Reader and Chaim Schalk of Canada-B, 21-16, 21-10.

McKinney was injured during the second match and will be replaced by Mark Van Zwieten (Pompano Beach, Fla.).

Bill Strickland (Malibu, Calif.) and Aaron Wachtfogel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) of USA-B also lost both matches to Canada on Monday, falling to Redman and Saxton, 21-16, 21-19 and to Reader and Schalk, 21-16, 21-15.

The U.S. men will play a losing team from the semifinals in the fifth-place bracket.

Tags: Ashley Ivy, Beach, Beach Volleyball, Matt McKinney, NORCECA, NORCECA Beach Circuit