COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 11, 2018) – The new U.S. beach team of Caitlin Ledoux and Emily Stockman got off to a good start by winning the FIVB World Tour SMM Pak Bara Beach Satun one-star event in Thailand on Wednesday.
Ledoux and Stockman, seeded 10th, came back from a 21-19 first-set loss to defeat No. 4 Tatyana Mashkova and Irina Tsimbalova of Kazakhstan, 19-21, 21-16, 15-8.
In Wednesday’s semifinal, Ledoux and Stockman had to come back to beat Indonesia’s No. 3 Dhita Juliana and Putu Utami, 20-22, 21-16, 15-13.
The team sixth-seeded U.S. team of Irene Pollock and Amanda Dowdy made it to the quarterfinals where they fell to Mashkova and Tsimbalova, 21-18, 21-17.
For 29-year-old Stockman, it was the second gold and second medal on the FIVB World Tour after winning the 2017 Langkawi (Malaysia) event with Kim DiCello. Ledoux, 27, reached her second FIVB podium after claiming silver with Jace Pardon in Shepparton, Australia in February.
Halfway through the first set, Kazakhstani established a slight lead and maintained it through to the end of the set, which came at 21-19 after a successful hit by Mashkova.
In the second set, the U.S. cruised to a comfortable 21-16 win, sealed with a smart hit by Stockman for the last point. The tie-breaker was competitive through 5-5, but then Ledoux and Stockman went on a 10-3 run, with Stockman once again closing the set at 15-8.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The 2018 NORCECA Beach Tour will open on April 13-15 in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
U.S. women’s team scheduled to compete are Kim Smith/Mackenzie Ponnet and Kelly Reeves/Brittany Howard.
Smith and Ponnet beat Reeves and Howard, 21-13, 21-18 to win the NORCECA playoff on March 14 in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Kelly Larsen and Emily Stockman finished third, defeating Lane Carico and Jace Pardon, 21-12, 19-21, 15-12.
Men’s teams scheduled to compete are Reid Priddy/Troy Field and Eric Zaun/Ed Ratledge.
Priddy and Field finished second at the NORCECA playoff, falling to Avery Drost and Chase Frishman, 21-17, 21-14 in the final. Zaun and Ratledge placed third, beating Bill Kolinske and Miles Evans, 21-19, 21-17.
Bill Ito will provide sports medicine in Aguascalientes.
Three of the U.S. teams in Aguascalientes will also compete in the NORCECA event on April 20-22 in La Paz, Mexico: Smith/Ponnet, Reeves/Howard and Priddy/Field. Drost/Frishman will join them. Steve Paulseth will provide sports medicine.
XIAMEN IS COMING
Eight U.S. beach teams are scheduled to compete at the FIVB four-star event on April 18-22 in Xiamen, China.
Women’s Main Draw (in order of seeding)
Sara Hughes/Summer Ross (Coach Jose Loiola)
April Ross/Alix Klineman (Coach Jen Kessy)
Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh (Coach Marcio Sicoli)
Women’s Qualifying
Kelly Claes/Brittany Hochevar
Kelley Larsen/Emily Stockman
Men’s Main Draw (in order of seeding)
Theo Brunner/John Hyden (Coach Evie Matthews)
Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb (Coach Rich Lambourne)
Men’s Qualifying
Billy Kolinske/Miles Evans
Sports Medicine: Aimee Miyazawa and Ciara Cappo
NCAA BEACH
Women’s and men’s collegiate beach volleyball will take center stage on May 9-12 at the USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
The dual-gendered event returns with up to a 32-team bracket, per gender. The qualification tournament will be played May 9, followed by a main draw tournament, which consists of pool play and a single-elimination bracket May 10-12. The finals will be televised on NBCSN from 4-6 p.m. ET on May 12.
The (event) is part of the 2018 Team USA Summer Champions Series, presented by Xfinity. The Champions Series showcases numerous Olympic sports throughout the season, highlighting the year-round quest of Team USA athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.