Five U.S. Men’s Teams to Compete in Prague Open

Becky Murdy
Assistant, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: becky.murdy@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 16, 2011) – USA Volleyball will have five pairs competing in the first single-gendered men’s tournament on the 2011 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour in Prague, Czech Republic, May 17-22.

Competition for two of the U.S. men’s teams will begin May 17 with the country quota matches. Qualifications matches will follow on May 18 with the main draw beginning May 19. The semifinals are slated for May 21 with the medal matches held on May 22.

Reigning Olympic champions Phil Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.) enter the Czech Republic tour stop undefeated (12-0 in matches, 24-6 in sets) in 2011, winning gold in both the Brasilia and Shanghai Opens on the 2011 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour.

Dalhausser and Rogers will be looking to defend their title after clinching the top spot in the 2010 Prague Open by defeating Brazil’s Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego. Dalhausser and Rogers were named the FIVB’s Team of the Year after seizing nine 2010 SWATCH FIVB World Tour titles.

Another U.S. team that has medaled during the 2011 tour is Jake Gibb (Bountiful, Utah) and Sean Rosenthal (Redondo Beach, Calif.). Gibb and Rosenthal have found success on the tour, most recently taking the silver at the Shanghai Open behind compatriots Dalhausser and Rogers. Further, Gibb and Rosenthal, seeded eighth in the 2011 Prague Open, captured the first Prague Open held in 2008.

U.S. teams have won the gold medal at both previous Prague Opens. Gibb and Rosenthal won the first event in 2008 while Dalhausser and Rogers won the most recent in 2010.

The U.S. team of Matt Fuerbringer (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Nick Lucena (Santa Barbara, Calif.), seeded sixth in the Prague Open, will also be competing in the main draw. Fuerbringer and Lucena have finished fifth in the first two tournaments on the tour, losing to Brazil and Germany in the consolation matches that advance the winner to the semifinals. In their first season as a team in 2010, Fuerbringer and Lucena had one second-place finish and one third-place finish in nine tournaments.

The two U.S. men’s teams that will compete in the country quota match on May 17 are Casey Jennings (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Kevin Wong (Honolulu, Hawaii) versus the newest pairing of Ty Tramblie (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Miike Morrison (Detroit, Mich.).

Tramblie and Morrison have competed in 29 tournaments on the AVP Pro Beach Tour, finishing in the top ten on three occasions. The Prague Open will be both players’ first tournament on the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour.

Complete information about the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour is available on the FIVB web site.

Tags: Casey Jennings, FIVB, FIVB beach, FIVB World Tour, Jake Gibb, Kevin Wong, Mike Morrison, Nick Lucena, Philip Dalhausser, Sean Rosenthal, Todd Rogers, Ty Tramblie