COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen repeated as winners of the USAV beach NORCECA playoffs when they won the women’s bracket on Tuesday from Manhattan Beach, California. New men’s pairs took the top three spots during the second playoff.
On the men’s side, Billy Allen and Stafford Slick won the bracket; Slick previously placed third with Reid Priddy during this years’ first NORCECA playoff. Finishing in second were Bill Kolinske and Miles Evans, and in third Mark Burik and Avery Drost. Larsen and Flint won first after Katie Spieler/Karissa Cook withdrew from the final due to injury. Jace Pardon and Lara Dykstra earned their second-consecutive third-place finish in NORCECA playoffs.
Flint and Larsen entered the tournament as the top women’s seed, and won the bracket after defeating Alex Klineman/Branagan Fuller, 21-18, 21-14, in the second round. They followed by winning the semifinal against Pardon/Dysktra, 17-21, 21-17, 15-13. The second-place finishers Spieler/Cook entered the playoff seeded seventh, and won three matches before withdrawing from the final due to injury. They topped two higher seeds along the way, including No. 2 Caitlin Ledoux/Kendra Vanzwieten, 21-14, 21-15, in the second round.
Pardon/Dykstra ended on a win for third, defeating No. 6 Delaney Knudsen/Corinne Quiggle, 14-21, 21-19, 15-10.
The men’s playoff saw many new names and a few new pairings from last time around. Slick successfully paired with Allen, as the top seed, to win the finale against Kolinske/Evans, 21-14, 21-15. Seeded seventh, Kolinske/Evans went 3-1, topping the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds before falling in the finals. Finishing third were Burik/Drost, beating Jon Mesko/Skylar Del Sol, 21-15, 21-14.
Winners of the second NORCECA playoff earned a bid on the NORCECA Continental Tour for: Ochos Rios, Jamaica (June 23-25), Varadero, Cuba (July 14-16), or Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (Sept. 15-17).
.@KelleyJLarsen .@BetsiFlint win women’s @NorcecaInfo playoff; @billyketchallen @StaffordSlick win the men’s #usavolleyball pic.twitter.com/COcklJzoIP
— USAV Beach (@USAVBeach) May 17, 2017
RESULTS
Women | Playoff #2, May 16
1. Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen
2. Katie Spieler/Karissa Cook
3. Lara Dykstra/Jace Pardon
Men | Playoff #2, May 16
1. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick
2. Bill Kolinske/Miles Evans
3. Mark Burik/Avery Drost
Women | Playoff #1, March 22
1. Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen
2. Brittany Hochevar/Emily Day
3. Lara Dykstra/Jace Pardon
Men | Playoff #1, March 22
1. Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner
2. Jon Mesko/Skylar Del Sol
3. Stafford Slick/Reid Priddy