Eastern Europe Awaits Several Beach Squads

Update: 5:15 pm PT Mountain

Taylor Crabb/Taylor Sander have withdrawn from the Jurmala Elite 16 qualifier. Six U.S. pairs will compete in the tournament.

Bourne/Tr. Crabb are now seeded No. 5 in the men’s qualifier and Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss are now No. 2 in the women’s qualifier.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 31, 2022) – The U.S. Beach National Team is traveling to Eastern Europe this week for a pair of Beach Pro Tour tournaments: an Elite 16 contest in Jurmala, Latvia, and a Futures event in Klaipeda, Lithuania.

Jurmala Elite 16

Seven U.S. duos will compete in Jurmala, a resort town on the Baltic Sea. Kelly Cheng/Betsi Flint return to international play after winning the AVP New Orleans last weekend. They’re seeded third in the women’s main draw, one spot ahead of Sara Hughes/Kelley Kolinske, who played in the Ostrava Elite 16 instead of New Orleans.

On the men’s side, Chaim Schalk/Theo Brunner also have a main draw berth. They’re seeded seventh.

Two more women’s duos begin play in Wednesday’s 16-team qualifier. Sarah Sponcil/Terese Cannon are the qualifier’s top seed, and Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss are No. 11. This will be Kloth/Nuss’ first Elite 16 tournament.

Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb and Taylor Sander/Taylor Crabb will compete in the men’s qualifier. Bourne/Tr. Crabb are second seed in the qualifier and Sander/Ta. Crabb are 11th.

Latvia’s Anastasija Kravcenoka/Tina Graudina headline the women’s field at the country’s first top-level international beach volleyball tournament. Katja Stam/Raisa Schoon of the Netherlands are seeded second. Five Brazilian pairs are in the women’s main draw, and two more are in the qualifier.

Olympic bronze medalists Cherif Younousse/Ahmed Tijan of Qatar are the top seed in the men’s flight, followed by the Netherlands’ Alexander Brouwer/Robert Meeuwsen and Brazil’s Andre Loyola Stein/George Souto Maior Wanderley.

The Jurmala qualifier takes place Wednesday, June 1, and the main draw begins one day later. All matches will be streamed live on VolleyballWorld.tv.

Klaipeda Futures

Three U.S. pairs are taking part in Lithuania’s first-ever FIVB beach event. Jessica Gaffney/Molly Turner, Melissa Fuchs/Tambre Nobles and Jade Race/Tiffany Creamer are each playing in Klaipeda’s qualifier. Gaffney/Turner are seeded second, Fuchs Powell/Nobes are fifth and Race/Creamer are sixth.

This will be Creamer’s international debut after 10 tournaments on the AVP tour. Fuchs Powell/Nobles and Gaffney/Turner are looking for their first main draw berths of the year.

Play begins in Klaipeda with the qualifier Thursday, June 2. The main draw begins Friday, June 3.