COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 30, 2019) – As the race to Tokyo 2020 continues, six U.S. beach teams are competing this week in the FIVB World Tour three-star event in Qinzhou, China.
The event marks the return of Summer Ross/Sara Hughes to competition after Ross recovered from a back injury. They are ranked fifth in the main draw.
Brook Sweat/Kerri Walsh Jennings are ranked No. 2 behind Australia’s Taliqua Clancy/Mariafe Artacho. Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil are No. 3.
Kelley Larsen/Emily Stockman were the top seeds in qualifying and advanced straight to the main draw, where they are seeded seventh.
On the men’s side, Travis Mewhirter/Michael Boag (see photo above) qualified for the main draw on Wednesday.
Mewhirter/Boag were seeded 16th in qualifying. In the first round, they beat No. 17 Sean Faiga/Netanel Amiram Ohana of Israel, 21-16, 21-18. They beat No. 1 Yusuke Ishijima/Katsushiro Shiratori in the second round, 16-21, 21-12, 20-18.
“This is the first FIVB World Tour I’ve ever played and the second time Mike (Boag) and I have played together, so to do that against the No.1 seed in the qualifiers is just awesome,” Mewhirter told the FIVB. “It’s awesome to come out here and be in my first main draw. It’s the most fun volleyball I’ve played in a long time.
“In the third set, we went up pretty big at 8-4 and then we went out on some opportunities, then we were down. Our opponents had four match points, but Mike was just playing well and aggressively swinging. We stayed really calm and ended on the good side.”
They are seeded 32nd in the main draw.
Miles Evans/Ryan Doherty are seeded fifth in the main draw. Travis Mewhirter/Michael Boag are seeded 16th in qualification.
Also this weekend, three U.S. teams are competing at the NORCECA Tour event in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic.
Falyn Fonoimoana/Corinne Quiggle will compete in the women’s event while Chaim Schalk/Jeremy Casebeer and Tim Brewster/Jon Ferrari will compete for the men.
FIVB FOUR-STAR IN CHETUMAL
Emily Day/Betsi Flint and Bill Kolinske/John Hyden won the country quota playoff on Oct. 25 to compete at the FIVB four-star on Nov. 13-17 in Chetumal, Mexico.
W1: Flint/Day def Corinne Quiggle/Amanda Dowdy
M1: Kolinske/Hyden def Mewhirter/Boag
W2: Flint/Day def Stockman/Larsen
M2: Kolinske/Hyden def Miles Evans/Ryan Doherty
U.S. Women’s Teams in Chetumal
Main draw
7 Sweat/Walsh Jennings
9 Sponcil/Claes
12 Hughes/S Ross
Qualifying
1 Flint/Day
U.S. Men’s Teams in Chetumal
Main draw
4 Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb
6 Trevor Crabb/Tri Bourne
17 Billy Allen/Stafford Slick
Qualifying
3 Bill Kolinske/John Hyden
Sports Med Support
Karla Wolford and Joe Houde