Akers, Branagh Down Top Seeds at FIVB Grand Slam

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

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 4, 2011) – The U.S. women’s 16th-seeded beach team of Angie Akers and Nicole Branagh dropped jaws Thursday at the $600,000 FIVB Beach Volleyball A1 Grand Slam presented by Volksbank in Klagenfurt, Austria, as they defeated top-seeds Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta of Brazil in their final match of pool play.

The United States has three women’s beach teams and four men’s teams still alive in the FIVB Swatch World Tour event.

Akers (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) surprised attendees as they charted the greatest upset of the tournament by downing top seeds Larissa and Juliana of Brazil, 21-14, 20-22, 15-13 in 49 minutes to capture first place in Pool A and a straight shot into Friday’s round two bracket. In the Americans first season playing together this victory marks the first victory over the Brazilians as they lost to them at the World Championship Moscow Grand Slam July 15.

The Brazilians lost for only the sixth time in 2011 and have slated a 55-6 in the 2011 FIVB Swatch World Tour season. Akers and Branagh now stand at a 27-18 record.

Akers and Branagh are 5-0 on the tournament as they had to battle their way through the U.S. country quota and the qualification rounds. The pair will face the Czech Republic’s 14th-seeds Kristyna Kolcova and Marketa Slukova in the second round on Friday.

Misty May-Treanor (Santa Monica, Calif.) and Kerri Walsh (San Jose, Calif.) outplayed their German opponents Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmleron, 21-16, 17-21, 15-11 in 44 minutes to capture the top place in Pool D and advancement into round two. The fourth-seeded Americans will face Germany’s seventh-seeds Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig in the second round.

USA’s May-Treanor/Walsh, who have won the Klagenfurt gold medal four times hold a 44-9 2011 FIVB Swatch World Tour record.

Lauren Fendrick (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Brooke Hanson (Woodland Hills, Calif.) rebounded from two previous losses to defeat Georgia’s 30th-seeded team of Cristine Santanna and Andrezza Martins das Chaqas, 21-12, 21-17 in the last match of Pool C. The win was necessary for the Americans to continue in the tournament and a win in round one was a must to push play into Friday. The duo defeated ninth-seeds Barbara Hansel and Sara “Monti” Montagnolli of Austria, 21-19, 22-10 in 43 minutes to secure a match-up in round two against Austria’s 10th-seeded team of Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger.

Jen Kessy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) came up short in the longest match of the tournament in Pool E against Brazil’s 12th-seeded team of Maria Clara Salgado Rufino and Carolina Solberg Salgado, 27-29, 21-13, 15-13 in one hour and two minutes. The Americans then faced Italy’s sixth-seeded team of Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti where they couldn’t pull out the win, falling 25-23, 21-15 in 39 minutes in round one.

Rounds two and three for the women will take place Friday with the semifinals and medal matches to be held on Saturday.

Three-time A1 Grand Slam champions and second-seeds Phil Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, Fla.) and Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.) tallied a 1-1 record following the men’s first day of round-robin pool play, defeating Denmark’s 31st-seeded team of Bo Soderberg and Anders Lund Hoyer, 21-19, 21-9 in 35 minutes. The pair then faced compatriots and 2010 A1 Grand Slam silver medalists Matthew Fuerbringer (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Nick Lucena (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and fell 21-19, 21-12 in 40 minutes. Fuerbringer and Lucena also lost a match Thursday, falling to Thiago Santos Barbosa and Harley Marques Silva, Brazil’s 18th seeds, 19-21, 21-14, 15-13 in 58 minutes. The Americans will swap opponents Friday in the final match of pool play with Rogers/Dalhausser facing Thiago/Harley and Fuerbringer/Lucena battling Soderberg/Hoyer.

In Pool Q, the other U.S.-dominant group, Casey Jennings (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Kevin Wong (Honolulu) proved themselves worthy of the main draw after being the only U.S. men’s team in qualification and then charting a 2-0 record, the best of the American men on Thursday. The duo upset Austria’s ninth-seeded team of Alexander Horst and Daniel Mullner before facing compatriots Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, seeded eighth. Jennings and Wong came out on top, recording a 21-11, 21-16 win in 35 minutes of play. Before falling in their second match, Gibb and Rosenthal tallied a win over Sweden’s 25th-seeds Sascha Heyer and Sebastian Chevallier. The pair will face Horst/Mullner Friday while Jennings/Wong take on Heyer/Chevallier.

Final round-robin pool play matches will conclude Friday as well as the completion of round one in the men’s event. Round two and three are slated for Saturday with both gold and bronze-medal matches taking place on Sunday.

For more information on the A1 Grand Slam, click here.

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