COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 7, 2018) – The U.S. beach team of Taylor Crabb and Jake Gibb pulled off another upset on Wednesday as it defeated the top-ranked U.S. team of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, 21-13, 21-15 at the KATARA Beach Volleyball Cup in Doha, Qatar.
Crabb/Gibb, seeded 16th in the four-star tournament, also won their first pool play match over Belgium’s Dries Koekelkoren and Tom van Walle, 24-22, 21-15. Crabb/Gibb won the pool and will advance straight to the second round.
Crabb/Gibb had another upset at the FIVB Fort Lauderdale Major when they beat Brazil’s defending world champions Evandro Goncalves and Andre Loyola in pool play.
Dalhausser and Lucena, who won the Fort Lauderdale Major without dropping a set, won their first pool play match in Doha over Qatar’s Benlouaer Ziad Ziad and Ahmed M A Ali Nassir, 21-13, 21-15.
The pair finished pool play 1-1 and will have to beat Canada’s 14th-seeded Grant O’Gorman and Ben Saxton in the first round to advance.
The other two U.S. men’s teams competing in Doha also went 2-0 in pool play and won their pools.
John Hyden and Theo Brunner, seeded 10th, beat Germany’s Markus Böckermann / Lars Flüggen (21-14, 21-19) and France’s Youssef Krou / Quincy Aye (21-19, 21-16).
Ryan Doherty and Billy Allen, seeded 25th after winning two qualifying matches on Tuesday, upset Qatar’s eighth-seeded Cherif Younousse / Ahmed Tijan (18-21, 21-17, 15-8) and Netherlands’ No. 9 Alexander Brouwer / Robert Meeuwsen (21-19, 10-21, 16-14).
U.S. Beach Teams at the KATARA Beach Volleyball Cup
Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena (Coach Jason Lochhead)
John Hyden and Theo Brunner (Coach Evie Matthews)
Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb (Coach Rich Lambourne)
Ryan Doherty and Billy Allen
Athletic Trainer: Carlos Roel