COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 23, 2022) – Two Beach National Team Development Program (NTDP) trials wrapped up at Hermosa Beach, California, Thursday, and six pairs – 12 athletes – earned the right to represent USA Volleyball at international tournaments later this year.
Four teams will compete at the FISU World University Championship in Maceio, Brazil, September 6-10 after their performances at the Beach World University Championship trials. Second seed Maddie Anderson/Lexy Denaburg and top seed Hailey Harward/Julia Scoles made the trials’ championship match. Anderson/Denaburg won in three sets (28-26, 9-21. 18-16), but both the gold and silver medalists will compete in Brazil as the U.S. has two entries in the tournament.
In the men’s bracket, Charlie Siragusa/Wyatt Harrison and Sebastian Rodriguez/Jack Walmer will compete at the Beach World University Championship after reaching the trials’ championship match. Siragusa/Harrison came from behind to win the finale, 2-1 (12-21, 21-12, 15-10).
Anderson/Denaburg won last year’s Beach U21 National Team trials, but only Anderson competed at the FIVB Beach U21 World Championships as Denaburg was injured. The seven other members of the WUC team will be making their international debuts.
Anderson, Denaburg, Harward, Scoles and Siragusa were all named to the 2022 Beach Collegiate National Team.
Additionally, two teams won the U19 FIVB Beach World Championship Trials and will don the red, white and blue at the U19 Beach World Championship in Dikili, Turkey, September 14-18. Top-seeded pair Ashley Pater/Myriah Massey advanced through the Girls bracket, beating Sophie Kubiak/Bailey Showalter, 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) in the gold medal match. Hailing from Florida and Ohio, respectively, this was Pater and Massey’s first tournament playing together.
In the Boys bracket, Ayden Keeter/Tread Rosenthal downed Thomas Hurst/Caleb Blanchette, 2-1 (19-21, 22-20, 15-7) in a showdown between the bracket’s top seeds for the worlds berth. Keeter, Hurst and Blanchette all play at C2 Attack Volleyball Club in Hendersonville, Tennessee. (Southern Region), and Rosenthal represents MB Surf in Manhattan Beach, California.
The U.S. currently only has one spot per gender in the U19 Beach World Championship. Should a second berth be granted, the silver medalists – Kubiak/Showalter and Hurst/Blanchette – will receive them.
Keeter is the only U19 team member with international experience. Like Anderson, he competed at the U21 Beach World Championships last year. Hurst played at the 2021 U19 Beach World Championships and will provide additional experience pending a second berth.
In Their Words
Anderson: “It is super exciting to win, and it’s even more exciting with Lexy because last year we were able to win but didn’t get to follow it through in Thailand [at the U21 World Championships].”
Denaburg: “I’m so stoked to represent USA. Last year, the same thing happened, but I got injured and wasn’t able to play with Maddie. I’m so honored to go represent USA in Brazil this year.”
Siragusa: “It was a super difficult tournament. We had a lot of three-set matches and had to stick with it. We had a winning feeling from the start. It’s nice to cap it all off with a win.”
Harrison: “We had a lot of really good battles, and it was good to grind together with Charlie and pull it out. A lot of really good teams out here, a super fun week.”
Pater: “The feeling is still unreal, I cannot believe it. Coming out here and playing with Mryiah and it being our first tournament together, we really performed and balled out. We got to know each other these last three days, and I’m really excited to compete for Team USA against the rest of the world.”
Massey: “There’s a lot of good competition here, and it’s nice to be at a level with them since I’m younger. I’m able to play against them.”
2022 FISU Beach World University Championship Roster
Women
Name (Height; Hometown; School; USAV Region)
Maddie Anderson (6-2; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Florida State; Florida)
Lexy Denaburg (6-0; Merritt Island, Fla.; UCLA; Florida)
Hailey Harward (5-9; Phoenix, Ariz.; USC; Arizona)
Julia Scoles (6-0; Statesville, N.C.; USC; Carolina)
Men
Name (Height; Hometown; School; USAV Region)
Wyatt Harrison (6-6; Santa Cruz, Calif.; UC San Diego; Northern California)
Sebastian Rodriguez (6-5, Hermosa Beach, Calif; Long Beach State; Southern California)
Charlie Siragusa (6-8; Rochester, N.Y.; UC San Diego; Western Empire)
Jack Walmer (6-3; Manhattan Beach, Calif.; UC Santa Barbara; Southern California)
2022 U19 FIVB Beach World Championship Roster
Girls
Name (Hometown; Club; USAV Region)
Myriah Massey (Pickerington, Ohio; Ohio Valley Beach; Ohio Valley)
Ashley Pater (Bradenton, Fla.; C3 Beach; Florida)
Boys
Name (Hometown; Club; USAV Region)
Ayden Keeter (Yorktown, Va.; C2 Attack; Southern)
Trent Rosenthal (Austin, Texas; MB Surf; Southern California)