U.S. Women Take Gold, Silver on Boca Chica Beach

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

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 24, 2011) – The U.S. women’s beach team of  Jenny Kropp (Grand Island, Neb.) and Whitney Pavlik (Laguna Beach, Calif.) beat out their compatriots Ashley Ivy (Arlington, Texas) and Lisa Rutledge (Vista, Calif.) for the gold medal on Sunday at the NORCECA Beach Circuit Event in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic.

Ivy and Rutledge (USA-1) had to default during the gold medal match due to knee injury to Ivy. The score favored Kropp and Pavlik (USA-2) 8-5 in the first set when Ivy collapsed after bumping with her partner and play was stopped. The official score was 21-5, 21-0.

Kropp and Pavlik advanced to the gold medal match with a 21-15, 21-19 quarterfinal victory over Cuba’s Imara Estevez and Kirenia Reyna. Ivy and Rutledge defeated Canada-1’s Jamie Broder and Eve Danserau in the quarterfinals, 21-18, 21-18.

In the semifinals, Pavlik and Kropp scored a comeback 15-21, 21-15, 15-13 victory off Mexicans Martha Revuelta and Diana Estrada.  Ivy and Rutledge reached the gold medal match with a 21-18, 21-14 victory over Costa Rica’s Natalia Alfaro and Ingrid Morales.

On the men’s side, the USA-2 team of Mark Van Zwieten (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and Stevo Vander Werp (Grand Haven, Mich.) finished fourth, falling to Roberto Rodriguez and Christopher Underwood of Puerto Rico-1 in the bronze medal match, 21-13, 21-16.

Van Zwieten and Vander Werp prevailed in their quarterfinal match against Costa Ricans Alex and Gilberto Villegas, 21-13, 19-21, 15-13. However the U.S. pair fell in the semifinals to the Mexico-1 team of Aldo Miramontes and Juan Virgen, 21-7, 27-25.

The USA-1 men’s team of Bill Strickland (Malibu, Calif.) and Aaron Wachtfogel (Redondo Beach, Calif.) lost in the quarterfinals to Cuba’s Karel Piña and Javier Jiménez, the eventual tournament winners, 19-21, 21-17, 15-10.

The NORCECA Beach Circuit will resume May 11-16 in Chiapas, Mexico.

Women’s results

Quarterfinals
USA-1 d. CAN-1 (21-18, 21-18)
USA-2 d. CUB (21-15, 21-19)
CRC d. PUR (21-15, 21-10)
MEX d. CAN-2 (21-9, 21-16)

Semifinals
USA-1 d. CRC (21-18, 21-14)
USA-2 d. MEX (15-21, 21-15, 15-13)

Bronze medal
MEX d. CRC (28-30, 24-22, 15-10)

Gold medal
USA-2 d. USA-1 (21-5, 21-0)

Men's results

Quarterfinals
CUB d. USA-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-10)
USA-2 d. CRC (21-13, 19-21, 15-13)
PUR-1 d. CAN-1 (21-16, 21-17)
MEX-1 d MEX-2 (21-14, 21-12)

Semifinals
CUB d. PUR (21-17, 21-16)
MEX d. USA-2 (21-7, 27-25)

Bronze medal
PUR-1 d. USA-2 (21-13, 21-16)

Gold medal
CUB d. MEX-1 (21-18, 21-13)

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