COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 2, 2023) – Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss earned their fifth medal on the FIVB Beach Pro Tour this past weekend with a silver at the Elite 16 Paris. Kloth and Nuss headlined a list of four U.S. teams who finished in the top-10 at the event.
FIVB Elite 16 – Paris
The U.S. had five women’s pairs and four men’s pairs competing at Elite16 Paris.
In the women’s bracket, the U.S. has three teams in the main draw. Kristen Nuss/Taryn Kloth were the overall No. 2 seed. Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes were the No. 5 seed and Betsi Flint/Julia Scoles were the No. 9.
2020 Olympic gold medalist Alix Klineman returned to international competition with her new partner Hailey Harward. Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft made their international debut as well.
Kloth/Nuss defeated Gottardi/Menegatti (ITA) in the semifinals 2-0 to face No. 1 Ana Patrícia/Duda (BRA) in the final. In the gold medal match, Kloth/Nuss fell 2-1 (21-10, 18-21, 15-13).
Cheng/Hughes finished tied for fifth. Flint/Scoles finished tied for ninth.
On the men’s side, Miles Partain/Andy Benesh were the No. 1 overall seed for the main draw and finished tied for ninth. The teams of Trevor Crabb/Theo Brunner, Chaim Schalk/Tri Bourne, and Miles Evans/Chase Budinger all took part in the qualification phase of the competition but did not advance.
Below are the complete results for the U.S. pairs.
Women
Qualification Preliminary Phase
Davidova/Baieva (UKR) def. Klineman/Harward, 2-1 (21-15, 16-21, 15-13)
Cannon/Kraft def. Klinger/Klinger (AUT), 2-0 (21-14, 21-16)
Pool A
Ana Patricia/Duda (BRA) def. Flint/Scoles, 2-1 (21-12, 18-21, 16-14)
Flint/Scoles def. Ahtiainen/Lahti (FIN), 2-1 (24-26, 21-13, 15-5)
Huberli/Brunner (SUI) def. Flint/Scoles 2-0 (22-20, 21-15)
Pool B
Mariafe/Clancy (AUS) def. Cannon/Kraft, 2-1 (18-21, 25-23, 15-11)
Nuss/Kloth def. Gottardi/Menegatti (ITA), 2-0 (21-13, 21-16)
Gottardi/Menegatti (ITA) def. Cannon/Kraft, 2-1 (21-16, 16-21, 15-12)
Nuss/Kloth def. Mariafe/Clancy, 2-0 (21-13, 21-19)
Nuss/Kloth def. Cannon/Kraft 2-0 (21-18, 22-20)
Pool D
Hughes/Cheng def. Ludwig/Lippmann (GER), 2-0 def.
Hughes/Cheng def. Muller/Tillmann (GER), 2-0 (21-18, 21-19)
Hughes/Cheng def. Placette/Richard (FRA), 2-0 (21-19, 21-19)
Round of 12
Gottardi/Menegatti (ITA) def. Flint/Scoles 2-0 (21-19, 21-15)
Quarterfinals
Stam/Schoon (NED) def. Hughes/Cheng 2-1 (19-21, 21-19, 15-13)
Kloth/Nuss def. Ludwig/Lippmann (GER) 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-8)
Semifinals
Kloth/Nuss def. Gottardi/Menegatti (ITA) 2-0 (21-13, 21-17)
Final
Ana Patricia/Duda (BRA) def. Kloth/Nuss 2-1 (21-10, 18-21, 15-13)
Men
Qualification Preliminary Phase
Grimalt/Grimalt (CHI) def. Schalk/Bourne, 2-1 (21-18, 22-24, 15-11)
Crabb, Tr/Brunner def. Immers/Van de Velde (NED), 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-8)
Brouwer/Meeuwsen (NED) def. Evans/Budinger, 2-0 (21-17, 21-18)
Horl/Horst (AUT) def. Crabb, Tr/Brunner, 2-1 (23–21, 13–21, 15–13)
Pool A
Boermans/De Groot (NED) def. Partain/Benesh, 2-0 (23-21, 22-20)
Evandro/Arthur (BRA) def. Partain/Benesh, 2-0 (21-18, 21-14)
Partain/Benesh def. Hodges/Schubert (AUS) 2-1 (21-19, 22-24, 15-11)
Round of 12
Cottafava/Nicolai (ITA) def. Partain/Benesh 2-0 (21-17, 21-16)
2023 NORCECA Punta Cana
The U.S. had a strong showing with four teams medaling at the 2023 NORCECA beach event in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Tim Brewster/Kyle Friend won the men’s tournament. The duo took gold by defeating Jake MacNeil/William Russell (CAN) in the final 2-1 (21-14, 16-21, 15-11). Logan Webber/Hagen Smith finished with the bronze medal by defeating Ricardo Galindo/Isaias Aguirre (MEX) 2-0 (22-0, 21-13).
Lexy Denaburg/Molly Turner Shaw took silver in the women’s tournament. The duo fell to Puerto Rico’s Allanis Navas/Maria Gonzalez 2-0 in the final. Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Murphy took care of business in the bronze medal match. They defeated Bethania Almanzar/Julibeth Payano (DOM) 2-0.