Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen win their second FIVB World Tour gold medal

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen won gold at the FIVB World Tour Ulsan 1-Star tournament in South Korea.

Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen earned their second FIVB World Tour medal of the season after sweeping Thailand in two sets on Saturday in the Ulsan 1-Star gold medal match. The duo previously won gold in their FIVB opener in Nanjing, China, on June 18.

For gold, Flint/Larsen defeated Thailand’s Varapatsorn Radarong/Tanarattha Udomchavee, 21-16, 21-13, in just 30 minutes of play. The pair did not drop a set in four matches played over the week.

The duo earned their way to the finale with a win against Israel in the opening round of 16. Flint and Larsen topped fellow American team, Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock in the quarterfinals, 21-12, 21-18. Dowdy and Pollock have four Top 10 finishes in 2017, including consecutive fifth-place finishes at 1-Star tournaments. In the semifinals, Flint/Larsen beat New Zealand swiftly in two frames, 21-16, 21-15.

GOLD!!!! #letsgoooo #korea @JLabAudio @KelleyJLarsen @FIVBBeach @FIVBVolleyball @USAVBeach @usavolleyball pic.twitter.com/jCYnCCFL4g

— Betsi Flint (@BetsiFlint) July 22, 2017

FIVB OLSZTYN, POLAND
The U.S. will play for a women’s bronze and a men’s gold medal at the Olsztyn 4-Star tournament on Sunday. John Hyden/Ryan Doherty will play for their best finish as a partnership, and Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh go for their 2017 best finish.

FIVB AGADIR, MOROCCO
At the Agadir 1-Star tournament, USA’s lone team in attendance tied for ninth. Bill Kolinske and Miles Evans fell to France’s Youssef Krou/Quincy Aye, 21-15, 21-15 in the opening round of 16 on July 21. For both of the Americans it marked their first FIVB event of the season, in just their second event as partners. The duo won silver on the NORCECA Continental Tour in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, on June 25.

WEEK IN REVIEW
Olsztyn 4-Star
Still to play: Gold medal match John Hyden/Ryan Doherty; bronze medal match Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh
– Tied for 5th: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena; Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross
– Tied for 9th: April Ross/Lauren Fendrick
– Tied for 17th: Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes
– Tied for 25th: Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner
– Lost in country quota: Kimberly DiCello/Emily Stockman fell to Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh, 28-26, 16-21, 15-12

Ulsan 1-Star
– 1st Place: Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen beat Thailand in their second gold medal victory of the year
– Tied for 5th: Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock, have four Top 10 finishes, two in the Top 5

Agadir 1-Star
– Tied for 9th: Bill Kolinske/Miles Evans lost in the opening round to tie for ninth