Three USA teams advance at FIVB Beach World Champs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – April Ross/Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross have advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIVB Beach World Championships.

The United States had seven teams in the elimination rounds of the FIVB Beach World Championships on Thursday morning, but was cut to three remaining to play again Friday. April Ross/Lauren Fendrick, and Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross have advanced to the women’s quarterfinals, and Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena will play in the men’s Round of 16.

Fendrick and A. Ross earned their quarterfinal berth after a three set victory against the Czech Republic’s Barbora Hermannova/Marketa Slukova, 19-21, 23-21, 15-9.

“That was up there [with the best comebacks I’ve been a part of],” said A. Ross afterward. “Yesterday was a comeback too. We want to come out of the gate strong. I am stoked with the way Lauren and I played in the third set.” Fendrick added, “each match we are learning and getting better.”

“That was up there w/ the best comebacks I’ve been a part of” @AprilRossBeach & @LaurenFendrick https://t.co/eKzPZ8PeVG pic.twitter.com/2GLFfyMkFS

— USAV Beach (@USAVBeach) August 3, 2017

Ross and Fendrick will now play Canada’s Heather Bansley/Brandie Wilkerson at 7 a.m. ET on Friday.

USA’s other quarterfinal-bound women’s team is that of Sweat/S. Ross. They too beat a Czech Republic team in the Round of 16, topping Kristyna Kolocova/Michala Kvapilova 17-21, 22-20, 15-12.

“It feels so amazing, I am just so happy to be playing again,” S. Ross told the FIVB. “I am loving Austria; we don’t want to leave. We played so hard that first set but we still kind of lost by a lot of points. We always know that we can win the next set if we don’t win the first.”

In the quarterfinals, Sweat/S. Ross will take on Laura Ludwig/Kira Walkenhorst at 6 a.m. ET Friday, the powerhouse German team that eliminated Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes in the Round of 16.

Claes and Hughes lost to Germany, 21-16, 21-16. “This is a really good learning experience,” Claes said of the tournament. “I am proud of our team. We wanted to go further, but I am proud of where we are.”

In men’s action, Olympians Dalhausser/Lucena were the lone U.S. men’s team to make it out of the Round of 32. The duo took down Italy’s Alex Ranghieri/Adrian Carambula, 21-18, 21-17. “We had a good game plan,” said Dalhausser of the victory. “We tried to keep Alex out of it, but he got involved. He is a big, physical force at the net. It is very hot out there. The training staff did a great job giving us ice water and cold towels.”

Dalhausser and Lucena will play Australia in the Round of 16, at 9 a.m. ET on Friday.

#Vienna is quaking! This crowd is not from this planet! #ThisIsBeachVolleyball #FIVBWorldChamps @usavolleyball @Volley_Austria pic.twitter.com/GgMgfZw0ux

— Beach Volleyball (@FIVBBeach) August 3, 2017

Three of USA’s men’s teams were unable to tally wins in the Round of 32, each of them tying for 17th in their eliminations. Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb lost to Australia in straight sets, John Hyden/Ryan Doherty to Latvia in three, and Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner to Austria in three.

“The event is fantastic, it’s really impressive,” Doherty told the FIVB. “Obviously we wanted to do better than 17th, we’ve had some solid finishes.”

Team USA standings at the finish of play on Aug. 3:
Fendrick/Ross, Advance to the quarterfinals to play Canada
Brooke Sweat/Summer Ross, Advance to the quarterfinals to play Germany
Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes, Tied for 9th after being eliminated by Germany in the Round of 16
Emily Day/Nicole Branagh, Tied for 17th after falling to Lauren Fendrick/April Ross in the Round of 32
Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena, Advance to Round of 16 to play Australia
Casey Patterson/Theo Brunner, Tied for 17th after falling to Austria in the Round of 32
Jake Gibb/Taylor Crabb, Tied for 17th after falling to Australia in the Round of 32
John Hyden/Ryan Doherty, Tied for 17th after falling to Latvia in three sets in the Round of 32