COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Volleyball has earned the maximum eight spots at the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, set in Vienna, Austria, to be played at the end of July.
The U.S. learned of its four men’s and four women’s spots for the World Championships, as announced by the FIVB on June 7. Headlining the participants are top USA seed No. 1 in World Ranking, Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. The top American women’s seed is fifth-ranked Brooke Sweat and Summer Ross.
A total of 48 teams per gender will compete at the 11th edition of the FIVB Beach World Championships. The tournament will be played July 28 to August 6 on Danube Island in Vienna.
Representing the United States will be:
No. 1 Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena
No. 12 Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner
No. 13 Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb
No. 19 John Hyden/Ryan Doherty
No. 5 Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross
No. 8 April Ross/Lauren Fendrick
No. 20 Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes
NORCECA qualification – Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh
Nine American women’s teams and six men’s teams submitted applications prior to May 28 to USAV for consideration into the World Championships. After the FIVB closed its registration in June, it was up to the event organizers and the FIVB to award the Top 23 per the World Rankings, wild cards, and final spots through continental confederations.
Walsh Jennings and Branagh earned their spot at the World Championships through one of four NORCECA nominations. The final field of players will be announced by the FIVB on June 9 with the wild card entries. The United States has reached the maximum number of teams per gender that can compete in the tournament.
All eight U.S. teams will be making their first appearance as partnerships at the World Championships stage. Walsh Jennings previously won it in 2007, 2005, 2003 (with Misty May-Treanor), April Ross in 2009 (with Jennifer Kessy); Dalhausser, and then partner Todd Rogers, have the distinction of being the only U.S. men’s team to win, which they did in 2007.
WEEK IN REVIEW
FIVB Moscow 3-Star
– First: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena won their second medal of the 2017 season
– Second: Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross won their first team medal
– Tied for 9th: April Ross/Lauren Fendrick, Brittany Hochevar/Emily Day; Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner
– Tied for 17th: Stafford Slick/Billy Allen
– Lost in country quota: Lane Carico/Caitlin Ledoux; Sean Rosenthal/Trevor Crabb