Four U.S. Women’s Teams Still Alive in Myslowice Open

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 19, 2011) – All four U.S. women’s teams competing in the Myslowice Open, a stop in Poland on the 2011 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour, continued into the second day of the main draw with one undefeated team.

Jennifer Kessy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) went undefeated in the first two rounds on Thursday, advancing them into the third round. The second-seeded duo downed 31st-seeded Katherine Maaseide and Ingrid Torlen of Norway, 16-21, 19-21. The pair then defeated Australia’s 15th-seeded team of Louise Bowden and Becchara Palmer 15-21, 19-21. Kessy and Ross will face Brazil’s 26th-seeded team of Maestrini Liliane and Angela Viera on Friday in the third-round of the main draw.

Kerri Walsh (San Jose, Calif.) and Brittany Hochevar (Fowler, Colo.), seeded 13th after coming through qualification bracket on Wednesday, defeated 20th-seeded Hana Klapalova and Lenka Hajeckova of the Czech Republic 21-17, 21-14 in the first round. In the second round, Germany’s fourth-seeded Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig gave the American duo its first loss of the tournament 16-21, 21-11, 15-10. Walsh and Hochevar will face Great Britain’s 30th-seeded team of Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney in the consolation on Friday.

Seventh-seeded Angie Akers (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) lost to Brazil’s 26th-seeded Liliane Masetrini and Angela Vieira 21-17, 21-13 in the first round. Akers and Branagh battled past Poland’s 10th-seeded team of Katarzyna Urban and Karolina Sowala 26-24, 19-21, 15-11 in the consolation round. The Americans’ consolation win advanced them into Friday’s consolation play against Italy’s 24th-seeded team of Daniela Giaria and Giulia Momoli.

Lauren Fendrick (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Brooke Hanson (Woodland Hills, Calif.), seeded 11th, lost a heartbreaking 15-21, 21-18, 15-11 match to Brazil’s 26th-seeded Renata Martins Ribeiro and Priscilla Eckstein Les Lima in the opening round.The defeat sent the pair to a consolation match where they beat Canada’s 27th-seeded team of Heather Bansley and Elizabeth Maloney 21-15, 21-19. Fendrick and Hanson take on Kristyna Kolocova and Marketa SLykova of the Czech Republic in hopes of advancing into Saturday’s semifinals.

Complete information about the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour Myslowice Open is available on the FIVB website.

For the complete schedule and updated results of the matches, visit the FIVB web site and click here.

Tags: 2011 FIVB World Tour, 2011 SWATCH World Tour, Angie Akers, April Ross, Beach, Beach Volleyball, Brittany Hochevar, Brooke Hanson, FIVB, FIVB beach, FIVB World Tour, Jennifer Kessy, Kerri Walsh, Lauren Fendrick, Nicole Branagh