Schalk/Brunner, Hughes/Kolinske Advance to Quarters

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 16, 2022) – Two U.S. Beach National Team pairs advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2022 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Thursday in Rome.

For the second consecutive day, Chaim Schalk/Theo Brunner rallied from a one-set deficit as they beat Poland’s Piotr Kantor/Maciej Rudol, 2-1 (20-22, 21-17, 21-11). After dropping the first set, Schalk/Brunner never trailed again. They maintained a two-point lead for much of the second set and either led or were tied in the third. Poland landed more attack and service points and both pairs blocked four shots, but Schalk/Brunner forced 12 more errors than Poland in the win.

Sara Hughes/Kelley Kolinske downed Swiss pair Nina Brunner/Tanja Huberli to reach the quarterfinals, winning 2-0 (21-19, 21-9). In the first, the Swiss led late at 17-18, but Hughes tied the score with a roll shot. The U.S. won the next two points to hold set point, and they claimed the frame two plays later. Hughes/Kolinske continued their roll into the second set, which they won handily.

Hughes led the match with 15 kills. Kolinske scored 17 total points.

Two more U.S. teams reached the Round of 16 but saw their World Championships runs end. Sarah Sponcil/Terese Cannon pushed German pair Svenja Muller/Cinja Tillmann to three sets but fell, 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 15-11). Muller/Tillmann scored three consecutive points in the third for an 8-5 lead, and Sponcil/Cannon were unable to bridge the gap.

Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb were set to face Estonia’s Kusti Nolvak/Mart Tiisaar, but the American pair was forced to withdraw from the tournament before the match. They and Sponcil/Cannon finished tied for ninth.

The quarterfinals take place Friday, June 17, at Rome’s Foro Italico. Hughes/Kolinske play Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Anouk Verge-Depre at 3 a.m. Pacific, and Schalk/Brunner will face the Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen at 1 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live on VolleyballWorld.tv.