COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 30, 2018) – Caitlin Ledoux/Geena Urango made their FIVB World Tour debut as a team at the three-star event in Chetumal, Mexico and came away with a silver medal on Oct. 28.
Brooke Sweat/Kerri Walsh Jennings also won their first World Tour medal as a team in Chetumal, taking bronze.
Ledoux/Urango were seeded 25th in Chetumal. In the gold-medal match, they felt to Canada’s No. 1 seeded Brandie Wilkerson/Heather Bansley, 21-12, 21-13.
Sweat/Walsh Jennings were playing only their second tournament as a team and were seeded third. They went undefeated until running into Wilkerson/Bansley in the semifinals and losing, 21-18, 21-17. In the third-place match, they defeated Canadian sisters Megan and Nicole McNamara, 16-21, 21-8, 15-10.
“I’m very proud,” Walsh Jennings told the FIVB. “It’s just our second tournament and we are still figuring out how to play with each other. Losing always hurts, but for us to be able to come back and win our first medal against a very good team, it’s really special. We hope we can keep improving and winning more medals.”
Ledoux/Urango went 1-1 in pool play and finished third. They won their first-round match over France’s No. 14 Alexandra Jupiter/Aline Chamereau (21-12, 21-10). In the second round, they beat Italy’s No. 2 Marta Menegatti/Viktoria Orsi Totch (21-19, 21-19).
In the third round, Ledoux/Urango beat Mexico’s Zaira Orellana/Martha Ruvuelta, who had beaten them in pool play, 21-18, 21-13.
Ledoux/Urango had to battle to beat Canadian sisters Megan and Nicole McNamara in the semifinals, 15-21, 21-15, 15-13.
“It’s awesome,” Ledoux told the FIVB after the semifinal. “For our first tournament together in the World Tour, we are having a great experience and to come this far, it’s impressive. We played some very good teams and needed to make some adjustments on the way. It has been a great tournament and I’m really proud of us so far.”
“Against Canada, we kept focusing on our side,” Urango said. “We have our tough serve and a good pass-set and these are the thing we can control.”
RESULTS IN CHETUMAL
1 Brandie Wilkerson/Heather Bansley (Canada)
2 Caitlin Ledoux/Geena Urango (USA)
3 Kerri Walsh Jennings/Brooke Sweat (USA)
9T Kim Dicello/Irene Pollock
17T Brittany Howard/Kelly Reeves
17T Kim Smith/Jace Pardon
NORCECA WORLD TOUR
Katie Spieler/Karissa Cook won gold while Travis Mewhirter/Ben Vaught took silver at the season-ending NORECA Circuit event in Martinique.
In the women’s final on Oct. 28, they defeated Canada’s Sophie Bukovec/Alexandria Poletto, 21-18, 20-22, 15-12.
The U.S. team of Victoria Dennis/Melissa Fuchs finished fifth.