COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Last week proved busy for beach volleyball with four major events taking place and the release of the 2016 Olympic Games pool play schedule. This week on the sand features the Junior Beach Tour Championships.
USA Volleyball is back at it with another junior championship on the beach, this week hosting the Junior Beach Tour Championships from Milwaukee, July 22-24.
Last week saw the U.S. successful domestically and internationally. From the World University Championships in Estonia, it was an all-American finale for the women’s title. USC student-athletes Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes took home gold while the University of Arizona’s Madison and McKenna Witt earned silver.
On the NORCECA Tour, two teams made the podium for the 23rd and 24th medals between both genders in 2016. Betsi Metter and Kelley Larsen earned silver, while Miles Evans and Spencer McLachlin tallied a career best finish with a bronze.
Back in the U.S., the High Performance Championships featured teams from the Under 13 age groups all the way to Under 23. Under 19 World Championship qualified athletes Aidan Brown and Lucas Lossone will carry their HP Champs title to Cyprus for the World Champs competition that begins next week.
Three of the four Olympic-bound beach pairs competed at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open. Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson won the men’s title, while Brittany Hochevar and Emily Day took home the women’s. Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena retired from play during the semifinal match, following a calf injury to Dalhausser. Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat tied for third.
The biggest news last week for the Olympic bound teams was the announcement of the Olympic pool play schedule. The 2016 Olympic Games for beach volleyball begin on Aug. 6, the first match featuring a U.S. team is at 3:30 p.m. ET, Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson will kick it off with a match against Qatar. Third-seeded April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings will play the first match of the Olympics that begins at midnight (local time); the duo have two matches in pool play that will be at midnight.
JUNIOR BEACH TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Returning to Milwaukee’s beautiful Bradford Beach, the 2016 Junior Beach Tour Championships begins on July 22 and will wrap on the 24th. This year’s JBT schedule featured 72 events prior to the Championships. The Tour doesn’t stop there however, the West Coast Championships are slated to be Aug. 25-26 in Long Beach, Calif.
WORLD TOUR RETURNS TO USA IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OLYMPICS
Following the Olympics in August, the FIVB World Tour will return to the United States for the Long Beach Grand Slam (World Series of Beach Volleyball) starting Aug. 23. It is expected to draw the four American Olympic teams, as well as a large contingent from other countries.
Learn more about the next World Tour event in the U.S., here.
WEEK IN REVIEW
World University Championships
– Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes won gold, their best finish at a youth aged championship as a team and individually
– Madison Witt/McKenna Witt won silver in their first career international event
– Branden Clemens/Brendan Duff finished 14th, improving on their team best finish of 17th at an NVL event in 2016; career international debut for Duff
– Chris Orenic/Lucas Yoder finished 23rd, a career best for Orenic who finished 25th at U21 Championships in 2014
NORCECA Varadero
– Betsi Metter/Kelley Larsen earned silver, their fourth medal of the year and second silver
– Miles Evans/Spencer McLachlin won bronze, a career best for both individually and as a team
– Skylar Caputo/Corinne Quiggle placed fifth in their international debut, also a professional career best finish for both
AVP Manhattan Beach Open
– Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar won, their first title as a team and first for both at MBO
– Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson placed first, their first MBO title as a team, first for Patterson and third for Gibb
– Lane Carico/Summer Ross finished second in their fifth Top 3 finish of 2016
– John Hyden/Tri Bourne finished runner-up for the second consecutive year
– Tied for third: Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Sweat and Kendra Vanzwieten/Kimberly DiCello; Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena forfeit in the semifinal match and Taylor and Trevor Crabb
UPCOMING EVENTS
Aug. 6-18 Olympic Games beach volleyball matches
Aug. 5-7 NORCECA Boqueron
Aug. 11-13 NVL Hermosa Beach
Aug. 23-28 Long Beach Grand Slam
Aug. 26-28 NVL Virginia Beach
Sept. 1-4 AVP Chicago
Sept. 13-18 FIVB World Tour Finals
Related Links
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