John Hyden and Ryan Doherty take silver in Poland

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – John Hyden and Ryan Doherty earned a silver medal on Sunday at the FIVB World Tour Olsztyn 4-Star tournament in Poland.

John Hyden and Ryan Doherty earned their first medal as a partnership on the FIVB World Tour, after going 5-1 through the week at the Olsztyn 4-Star tournament. Kerri Walsh Jennings and Nicole Branagh were the top women’s finishers, coming in fourth following a medical forfeit in the bronze medal match.

Hyden and Doherty had a spectacular week, opening play by winning their pool, 2-0. The pair earned victories in the second round against Argentina, and in the quarterfinals against Russia. In the semifinals, the duo topped Olympians Juan Virgen/Lombardo Ontiveros of Mexico, 21-18, 21-15. The gold medal match proved a long and exciting engagement, with the Americans taking on Germany’s Markus Bockermann/Lars Fluggen.

In the first set, Hyden/Doherty edged ahead, 21-15. The Germans surged back in the second and third to win the match and top prize, 21-18, 15-11.

In the women’s action, Walsh Jennings/Branagh were set to make a run at their first podium finish since 2010, when the pair fell in three in the semifinals against Sara Pavan/Melissa Humana-Paredes of Canada, 21-13, 19-21, 16-14. In that match on Saturday, Walsh Jennings dislocated her right shoulder in the third set at the 14-all point. The duo forfeited to Brazil’s Agatha Bednarczuk/Eduarda Lisboa for Sunday’s bronze medal match.

Olsztyn 4-star didn’t finish how they wanted but @NicoleBranagh and @kerrileewalsh have taken plenty of steps as a team…#BeachWorldTour pic.twitter.com/XLj4G4r1EX

— Beach Volleyball (@FIVBBeach) July 22, 2017

Team USA saw three other pairs earn Top 10 finishes in Poland. Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross tied for fifth after being eliminated by Walsh Jennings/Branagh, 21-15, 21-18 in the quarterfinals. April Ross/Lauren Fendrick tied for ninth after a 1-1 finish in pool play, a win in round one, prior to being eliminated by Pavan/Humana-Paredes in the second round in two frames. Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena looked poised to earn another medal, going 2-0 in pool play and skirting past Poland 22-20, 23-21 in the second round. The duo were eliminated by the men’s champions Bockermann/Fluggen, 14-21, 21-18, 15-11 in the quarterfinals.

Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes met an early end to the tournament after falling in the first round in three sets to Russia, giving them 17th place. Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner tied for 25th after two losses in pool play.

FIVB ULSAN, SOUTH KOREA
Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen won their second gold medal of 2017 in as many events on the FIVB World Tour. The pair won the Ulsan 1-Star tournament on Saturday without dropping a single set in four matches throughout the week.

FIVB AGADIR, MOROCCO
At the Agadir 1-Star tournament, USA’s lone team in attendance tied for ninth. Bill Kolinske and Miles Evans fell to France’s Youssef Krou/Quincy Aye, 21-15, 21-15 in the opening round of 16 on July 21. For both of the Americans it marked their first FIVB event of the season, in just their second event as partners. The duo won silver on the NORCECA Continental Tour in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, on June 25.

WEEK IN REVIEW
Olsztyn 4-Star
– 2nd Place: John Hyden/Ryan Doherty, Doherty’s best finish since taking silver on June 22, 2014 with Nick Lucena in Berlin; best team finish
– 4th Place: Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh, their best finish since winning the Phuket Open on Nov. 7, 2010
– Tied for 5th: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena; Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross
– Tied for 9th: April Ross/Lauren Fendrick
– Tied for 17th: Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes
– Tied for 25th: Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner
– Lost in country quota: Kimberly DiCello/Emily Stockman fell to Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh, 28-26, 16-21, 15-12

Ulsan 1-Star
– 1st Place: Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen beat Thailand in their second gold medal victory of the year
– Tied for 5th: Amanda Dowdy/Irene Pollock, have four Top 10 finishes, two in the Top 5

Agadir 1-Star
– Tied for 9th: Bill Kolinske/Miles Evans lost in the opening round to tie for ninth