Dalhausser and Lucena sweep Gstaad, earn second gold of season

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Olympians Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena went unscathed to win gold at one of the FIVB World Tour’s most premier events of the season, the Gstaad 5 Star tournament in Switzerland.

Dalhausser and Lucena added their second gold medal of the season after completing a perfect sweep of the competition during the week. The duo went 7-0 without dropping a set, and won their final two matches in resounding fashion, including a 21-18, 21-19 victory against Brazil in the finale.

The U.S. had five teams finish in the Top 10, punctuated by John Hyden and Ryan Doherty who tied for fifth after entering the tournament from the qualification bracket.

The tournament was unique in the fact that there were three U.S. men’s teams in one pool. Dalhausser/Lucena won that pool 3-0, with compatriots Sean Rosenthal/Trevor Crabb going 1-3 to advance to the first round, and Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner being eliminated after a 0-3 record. In single elimination, Rosenthal/Crabb lost in the first round, and Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb fell in the second.

Hyden and Doherty made their run from qualification to their third quarterfinal of the year. It was an improvement on last week’s performance where they were unable to advance out of Porec’s qualifier. Hyden and Doherty weren’t the first USA team to make that run this season, Rosenthal/Crabb went from the qualifier to fifth-place in Xiamen in April.

From the American women’s teams, top finishers were Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes and Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh, both pairs tied for ninth. For Claes/Hughes, it was their third Top 10 finish this year, though a dip from their fifth-place in Porec. Walsh Jennings and Branagh had a main draw wild card, and after finishing 1-2 in pool play, followed with a win against Switzerland in the first round before being eliminated in the second by Brazil.

All U.S. teams that competed in Gstaad will return to the USA to compete in next week’s Long Beach President’s Cup, an event that is an exhibition and will not count toward the FIVB World Tour or Tour points.

WEEK IN REVIEW
Gstaad 5-Star
– 1st Place: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, the second gold medal and third podium finish of 2017
– Tied for 5th: John Hyden/Ryan Doherty, duo started tournament in qualification and the third T5 finish for the pair
– Tied for 9th: Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes, third T10 finish; Kerri Walsh Jennings/Nicole Branagh, best team finish since 9th in Aug. 2012; Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb, fourth T10 finish
– Tied for 17th: April Ross/Lauren Fendrick, their first FIVB tourney since late May; Sean Rosenthal/Trevor Crabb, third time pair have tied for 17th
– Tied for 25th: Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross, the first time the team did not advance out of pool play this year; Kimberly DiCello/Emily Stockman, their fifth T25 finish in 2017; Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner, duo went 0-3 in pool play
– Lost in country quota: Brittany Hochevar/Emily Day fell to Kimberly DiCello/Emily Stockman, 31-29, 21-19

What a battle! @SaraHughesBeach/ @kellyclaes3 and @AprilRossBeach/ @LaurenFendrick put on a huge show in Round 1! @usavolleyball pic.twitter.com/nyQm2oevaB

— Beach Volleyball (@FIVBBeach) July 6, 2017