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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 12, 2024) – This edition of the beach update has medal news as we recap the results from Doha Elite 16 as well as the Futures results from Mount Maunganui. We also take a look at who is preparing to head out to the next events in Brazil and Australia.
Doha Elite 16
Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng opened the season with a third-place finish and brought back a bronze medal from Doha.
Hughes/Cheng went undefeated in pool play and earned an automatic bid to the quarterfinals where they beat Tanja Huberli and Nina Brunner (SUI) 2-1 (13-21, 21-13, 15-13).
In the semifinals, Hughes/Cheng fell to Carol Salgado and Barbara Seixas (BRA) in three sets (21-11, 17-21, 15-12) which placed them in the bronze-medal match. They defeated Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova (LAT) 2-0 (21-15, 21-18). Cheng, Hughes and Graudina all played college beach volleyball at the University of Southern California.
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth finished tied for ninth, as did Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner in the men’s bracket. Chase Budinger and Miles Evans finished tied for 13th. Chaim Schalk/Tri Bourne finished tied for 17th.
Futures Mount Maunganui
Two U.S. men’s teams medaled at Futures Maunganui in New Zealand over the weekend. James Shaw and Jordan Hoppe won gold and earned their second straight medal as a pair to start the 2024 season.
Hoppe/Shaw defeated Ben Hood/D’Artagnan Potts (AUS) in three sets (18-21, 21-9, 15-9) to claim victory in the gold medal match.
Cody Caldwell and Jake Urrutia took home bronze with a 2-0 victory in the third-place match (21-19, 21-18) over Tom Reid/Jack McManaway (AUS).
In the women’s tournament, Alaina Chacon/Mariah Whalen defeated teammates Avery Poppinga/Madison Shields in the battle for bronze. The 2-0 win (21-16, 22-20) for Chacon/Whalen was the pair’s first medal on the Beach Pro Tour.
Challenge Recife and Futures Coolangatta
The next BPT Challenge will be held March 20-24 in Recife, Brazil. The U.S. is sending three women’s pairs and three men’s pairs to the event.
Women
Savvy Simo/Toni Rodriguez
Kennedy Coakley/Brooke Sweat
Kim Hildreth/Teegan Van Gunst
Men
Chaim Schalk/Tri Bourne
Miles Evans/Chase Budinger
Trevor Crabb/Theo Brunner
The Coolangatta Futures event will also be March 20-24. Five U.S. women’s pairs and three U.S. men’s pairs are set to compete.
Women
Alaina Chacon/Mariah Whalen
Genel Sturgeon/Tarryn Angermeier
Delaney Peranich/Maya Gessner
Anna Donlan/Kelsey Bradbury
Jessica McGuire/Logan Beitler
Men
Garrett Peterson/Caleb Kwekel
Ben Vaught/Kevin Coyle
Jake Urrutia/Brandon Joyner
Rankings
No changes to the Olympic rankings as of yet with the conclusion of the most recent Elite 16, but the top-20 still does not have a lot of separation.
Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss are No. 2 in the provisional Olympic rankings behind only Ana Patricia/Duda (BRA). Nuss/Kloth have 10,860 points on 14 tournaments played. In the FIVB world rankings, the duo are also No. 2 with 11 tournaments played and 8,140 points.
Coming off the bronze medal in Doha, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes are still tied for No. 4 in the provisional Olympic rankings with 10,040 points on 13 tournaments played. Hughes/Cheng have the W designation for a quota place obtained for winning the 2023 Beach World Championships. They share No. 4 with Melissa/Brandie (CAN) who have the T designation for not enough tournaments played. In FIVB world rankings, Hughes/Cheng are No. 3 with 10 tournaments played and 8,080 points.
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint are tied for No. 12 in the provisional Olympic rankings with 6,740 points on 11 tournaments played. They are No. 15 in the FIVB world rankings with 11 tournaments played and 5,360 points.
In the men’s provisional Olympic rankings, Miles Partain and Andy Benesh share the No. 7 spot with with Perusic/Schweiner (CZE). Partain/Benesh have 7,620 points on 10 tournaments played. In the FIVB world rankings, Partain/Benesh have 7,020 points on 10 tournaments played and are in sole possession of No. 4.
Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner are currently No. 10 in the provisional Olympic rankings with 7,220 points and 13 tournaments played. In the FIVB world rankings, Crabb/Brunner are now tied for No. 13 with Hodges/Schubert (AUS) with 5,540 points and 13 tournaments played.
Miles Evans and Chase Budinger are No. 15 in the provisional Olympic rankings with 6,640 points on 14 tournaments played. Budinger/Evans are ranked No. 20 in the FIVB world rankings with 5,040 points and 14 tournaments played.
Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk are tied for No. 17 in the provisional Olympic rankings with 6,180 points on 15 tournaments played. In the FIVB world rankings, they are No. 22 with 4,760 points on 15 tournaments played.
Current World Rankings – Women
The Beach Update is back for the first time in 2024. This edition previews the beginning of the FIVB Beach Pro Tour season with the Doha Elite16 beginning next week. We also recap the results of the NORCECA Playoff No. 1 in Manhattan Beach and make our first check in on the Olympic rankings.
In the final beach update of 2023, we take a look at the results of the two most recent NORCECA tournaments, both of which took place in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic. The U23 Continental Tour and the Beach Finals closed out the competition schedule until the new year, so we will look one more time at the rankings. The U.S. also did well at the King and Queen of the Court series.
As the 2023 beach volleyball competition season winds down, we crown a new Beach Pro Tour Champion at the conclusion of the BPT Finals over the weekend. Plus, the U.S. is coming home with two medals from NORCECA San Salvador after positive showings from all four competing teams. We also preview two more NORCECA competitions that are set to conclude this year’s events.
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