COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 14, 2019) – Five U.S. women’s teams and four U.S. men’s teams will be on the sand in Hamburg, Germany for the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships on June 28-July 7.
The U.S. had four women’s teams and three men’s teams finish among the top 23 teams per gender on the FIVB World Tour entry list.
For the women, Alix Klineman/April Ross (seeded sixth; see photo above), Sara Hughes/Summer Ross (seeded eighth), Sarah Sponcil/Kelly Claes (seeded 13th) and Kelley Larsen/Emily Stockman (seeded 15th) finished in the top 23. Brooke Sweat/Kerri Walsh Jennings (seeded 22nd) received a wild card.
On the men’s side, Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb (seeded eighth), Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (seeded ninth) and Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb (seeded 24th) finished in the top 23. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (seeded 30th) qualified through the NORCECA Tour.
A total of 48 women’s teams and 48 men’s teams will compete in Hamburg.
The top seeds for the women are Czech Republic’s Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova. Top seeds for the men are Norway’s Anders Mol/Christian Sorum.
FIVB ITAPEMA FOUR-STAR
Top U.S. teams are in Itapema, Brazil this week for the FIVB World Tour four-star event.
In a country quota match on Tuesday, Brooke Sweat/Kerri Walsh Jennings defeated Sarah Sponcil/Kelly Claes, 21-12, 21-14.
Qualification begins Wednesday with Sweat/Walsh Jennings and Carly Wopat/Brittany Hochevar competing in the women’s qualifier. Reid Priddy/Theo Brunner will play in the men’s qualifier.
Women’s teams in the main draw are Klineman/A Ross, Hughes/S Ross and Larsen/Stockman.
Men’s teams in the main draw are Bourne/Tr Crabb, Ryan Doherty/John Hyden and Chase Budinger/Casey Patterson.
Mike Bohrnsen, DDC, and Stacy Struble, ATC, are going to Itapema for athlete support.
FONOIMOANA/MARTIN FIND NORCECA SUCCESS
Falyn Fonoimoana/Nicolette Martin have medaled at three of the first four 2019 NORCECA Tour events.
On May 12, the pair took silver in Varadero, Cuba. Prior to that the pair won bronze at the events in Aguascalientes, Mexico and Cayman Islands.
Also in Varadero, Troy Field/Ty Loomis placed fourth. Geena Urango/Caitlin Ledoux and Eric Zaun/Ian Satterfield each finished fifth.
FIVB TUAN CHAU ISLAND ONE-STAR
Kaley Melville/Lindsey Fuller came through the qualifier and placed fifth at the FIVB World Tour one-star event in Tuan Chau Island, Vietnam.
The pair went 1-1 in pool play and beat Thi Cam Tien Nguyen/Thi Hoa Hien Le of Vietnam in the Round of 12, 21-19, 21-13. In the quarterfinals, they fell to Yukako Suzuki/Yui Nagata of Japan, 21-12, 21-13.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 17-19: AVP Austin Open
May 22: FIVB Jinjiang (China) Four-Star
U.S. Entries
Women’s Main Draw
Hughes/S Ross
Claes/Sponcil
Betsi Flint/Emily Day
Women’s Qualifying
Sweat/Walsh Jennings
Men’s Main Draw
Ta Crabb/Gibb
Nick Lucena/Phil Dalhausser
Tr Crabb/Bourne
Men’s Qualifying
Hyden/Doherty
Casey Patterson/Chase Budinger
Athlete Support: Troy Holder, DC, DABCSP, CCSP and Tiara Rolle, DPT, ATC, Cert DN – PRN Physical Therapist