HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (June 23, 1996) -- The final U.S.-based, international beach volleyball tournament prior to the 1996 Olympic Games concluded today, with Norwegian team Jan Kvalheim and Bjorn Maaseide winning the men's title at the Bud Light World Beach Volleyball Invitational. Kvalheim and Maaseide defeated the No. 1 team in the world, beating Brazilians Franco Viera Neto and Roberto Lopes Costa 12-8, 12-5 in the best of three game championship series.
The No. 1 women's beach volleyball team in the world won their third consecutive tournament championship, as Brazilians Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires captured the women's division title at the 1996 Bud Light World Beach Invitational. Silva and Pires defeated fellow countrywomen Adriana Samuel and Monica Rodrigues 12-9, 12-8 in the best of three game championship match to remain perfect in the three FIVB women's competitions on the 1996 season schedule.
Silva and Pires, who will be the No. 1 seeded team when beach volleyball makes its Olympic debut later this summer, advanced through the tournament here unscathed, winning six matches en route to their seventh career win together on the FIVB World Championship Series. The title contest was a rematch of championship matches at the previous two FIVB tournaments thus far this season. Silva and Pires won the 1996 FIVB season opener in Maceio, Brazil 12-6, 12-11, and prevailed 12-9, 7-12, 12- 10 in Recife, Brazil.
Kvalheim and Maaseide went undefeated in the double elimination tournament, giving up more than ten points in a single match only once, in a 15-12 semifinal win over Argentineans Martin Conde and Esteban Martinez. The win was career number five for the Norwegian duo, and their second win in the United States. The pair won their first championship at an FIVB event in Miami, Fla. in 1994. Additional wins came in France and Russia in 1994 and in Germany last year. Kvalheim's and Maaseide's best previous finish this year was a third place showing in Turkey, where they beat this same Brazilian pair in the bronze medal match.
"We've been playing very well the last two or three weeks," said Kvalheim, who finished with 34 kills in the championship match. "We played excellent defense, and this is the first time we've beaten the Brazilians without serving well."
Argentineans Conde and Martinez finished third in the tournament, besting Brazilians Ze Marco Melo and Emanuel Rego 17-15 in a hotly contested match.
Included in this week's six victories by Silva and Pires was a 15-9 win over the top American women's tandem of Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno in a semifinal match earlier on Sunday. McPeak and Reno rebounded from the loss to capture the bronze medal with a 15-4 victory over Australians Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst in Sunday's third place match.
McPeak and Reno, who are one of three U.S. women's teams that will compete at this summer's Olympics, were the only American team to reach Sunday's final matches. The Bud Light World Beach Invitational provided somewhat of an Olympic preview, with a total of 38 out of a possible 42 men's and women's Olympics-bound teams competing here.
Men's Semifinal Matches: Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide (Norway) def. Esteban Martinez/Martin Conde (Argentina) 15-12 Franco Vieira Neto/Roberto Lopes Costa (Brazil) def. Ze Marco Melo/Emanuel Rego (Brazil) 15-12 Men's Third Place Match: Esteban Martinez/Martin Conde (Argentina) def. Ze Marco Melo/Emanuel Rego (Brazil) 16-14 Men's Championship Match (best of three games): Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide (Norway) def. Franco Viera Neto/Roberto Lopes Costa (Brazil) 12-8, 12-5 Women's Semifinal Matches: Jackie Silva/Sandra Pires (Brazil) def. Holly McPeak (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) /Nancy Reno (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) 15-9 Adriana Samuel/Monica Rodrigues (Brazil) def. Kerri Pottharst/Natalie Cook (Australia) 15-13 Women's Third Place Match: Holly McPeak (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) /Nancy Reno (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) def. Kerri Pottharst/Natalie Cook (Australia) 15-4 Women's Championship Match (best of three games): Jackie Silva/Sandra Pires (Brazil) def. Adriana Samuel/Monica Rodrigues (Brazil) 12-9, 12-8
HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (June 22, 1996) -- Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno, the top U.S. women's Olympic team, advanced to the semifinal round of the 1996 Bud Light World Beach Volleyball Invitational. The $290,000 double elimination tournament, which is part of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) 1996 World Championship Series, is the final U.S.-based international tournament prior to the Olympic Games in Atlanta this summer. McPeak and Reno staved off elimination after registering their first loss of the tournament earlier in the day today, and bounced back to defeat fellow Americans Liz Masakayan and Angela Rock in one of Saturday's last matches. McPeak and Reno will have to carry the banner for the USA in Sunday's play, as the the three remaining Olympic-bound USA teams were all eliminated in Saturday competition. Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel, the only one of three U.S. men's Olympic teams entered in this weeks tournament, were ousted today by Spaniards Javier Bosma/Sixto Jimenez 15-10 in a fifth round consolation bracket match. Fellow American Olympic-bound teams Linda Hanley/Barbra Fontana- Harris and Gail Castro/Deb Richardson were also knocked from competition today in the final rounds of consolation bracket play. The Bud Light World Beach Invitational featured a total of 38 of a possible 42 Olympic teams, with only one women's Olympic team missing and three men's teams not in action. The Hermosa Beach event is the final U. S.-based international tournament prior to the 1996 Olympic Games, where beach volleyball will make its debut as a medal sport. Play begins again Sunday at 9 a.m. at the tournament complex, located at Pier and The Strand, with championship matches scheduled for 1 and 2:30 p. m. ### Results from Bud Light World Beach Invitational -- Saturday, June 22, 1996 Women's Division -- Winner's Bracket Quarterfinals Jackie Silva/Sandra Pires (Brazil) def. Barbra Fontana-Harris (Laguna Beach, Calif.)/Linda Hanley (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) 15-8 Holly McPeak (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)/Nancy Reno (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) def. Carolyn Kirby (Brookline, Mass.)/Lisa Arce (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 15- 2 Kerri Pottharst/Natalie Cook (Australia) def. Krista Blomquist(Branford, Ky.)/Wendy Fletcher(Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 15-5 Adriana Samuel/Monica Rodrigues (Brazil) def. Teruko Nakano/Yukiko Ishizaka (Japan) 15-2 Women's Division -- Winner's Bracket Semifinals Silva/Pires (Brazil) def. Pottharst/Cook (Australia) 15-12 Samuel/Rodrigues (Brazil) def. McPeak/Reno (USA) 15-12 Women's Division -- Third Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Liz Masakayan (San Diego, Calif.)/Angela Rock (Carlsbad, Calif.) def. Soto Velia/Mayra Huerta (Mexico) 15-3 Beate Buhler/Danja Musch (Germany) def. Janice Harrer (Honolulu, Hi. )/Gayle Stammer (San Antonio, Tex.) 16-14 Gail Castro (Carlsbad, Calif.)/Deb Richardson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) def. Debora Schoon Kadijk/Lisette Van de Ven (Netherlands) 15-5 Karrie Poppinga (Mililani, Hi.)/Christine Schaefer (Florence, Ky.) def. Margo Malowney/Barb Broen-Ouellette (Canada) 15-7 Women's Division -- Fourth Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Masakayan/Rock (USA) def. Blomquist/Fletcher (USA) 15-4 Fontana-Harris/Hanley (USA) def. Buehler/Muesch (Germany) 15-5 Poppinga/Schaefer (USA) def. Kirby/Arce (USA) 15-6 Castro/Richardson (USA) def. Takahashi/Fujita (Japan) 15-5 Women's Division -- Fifth Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Castro/Richardson (USA) def. Poppinga/Schaefer (USA) 15-9 Masakayan/Rock (USA) def. Fontana-Harris/Hanley (USA) 16-14 Women's Division -- Sixth Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) McPeak/Reno (USA) def. Rock/Masakayan (USA) 16-14 Pottharst/Cook (Australia) def. Castro/Richardson (USA) 15-11 Men's Division -- Winner's Bracket Quarterfinals Ze Marco Melo/Emanuel Rego (Brazil) def. Francisco Alvarez/Juan Milanes Rosell (Cuba) 15-11 Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide (Norway) def. Mark Heese/John Child (Canada) 15-3 Esteban Martinez/Martin Conde (Argentina) def. Paulo Emilio Azevedo/Paulao Paulo Costa (Brazil) 15-13 Franco Vieira Neto/Roberto Lopes Costa (Brazil) def. Sinjin Smith/Carl Henkel (USA) 15-13 Men's Division -- Winner's Bracket Semifinals Kvalheim/Maaseide (Norway) def. Melo/Rego (Brazil) 15-5 Neto/Lopes Costa (Brazil) def. Martinez/Conde (Argentina) 16-14 Men's Division -- Third Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Julien Prosser/Lee Zahner (Australia) def. Ed Drakich/Marc Dunn (Canada) 15-8 Michel Everaert/Sander Mulder (Netherlands) def. Andrea Ghiurghi/Nicola Grigolo (Italy) 15-12 Javier Bosma/Sixto Jimenez (Spain) def. Para Ferreira/Guilherme Marques (Brazil) 15-9 Christian Penigaud/Jean-Philippe Jodard (France) def. Tom Englen/Figge Peterson (Sweden) 15-11 Men's Division -- Fourth Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Heese/Child (Canada) def. Everaert/Mulder (Netherlands) 15-2 Alvarez/Milanes Rosell (Cuba) def. Prosser/Zahner (Australia) 15-9 Smith/Henkel (USA) def. Penigaud/Jodard (France) 15-12 Bosma/Jimenez (Spain) def. Paulo Emilio/Paulao (Brazil) 15-10 Men's Division -- Fifth Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Alvarez/Milanes Rosell (Cuba) def. Heese/Child (Canada) 16-14 Bosma/Jimenez (Spain) def. Smith/Henkel (USA) 15-10 Men's Division -- Sixth Round Consolation Bracket (losers eliminated) Martinez/Conde (Argentina) def. Alvarez/Milanes Rosell (Cuba) 15-5 Melo/Rego (Brazil) def. Bosma/Jimenez (Spain) 15-6 SCHEDULE OF PLAY -- SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 1996 On Courts #1 and #2, beginning at 9 a.m. Men's Semifinal Matches Esteban Martinez/Martin Conde (Argentina) vs. Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide (Norway) Franco Vieira Neto/Roberto Lopes Costa (Brazil) vs. Ze Marco Melo/Emanuel Rego (Brazil) Women's Semifinal Matches Jackie Silva/Sandra Pires (Brazil) vs. Holly McPeak (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)/Nancy Reno (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) Adriana Samuel/Monica Rodrigues (Brazil) vs. Kerri Pottharst/Natalie Cook (Australia) Following matches will be played on Court #1 Men's Third Place Match Women's Third Place Match Championship Men's Match Championship Women's Match
HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. (June 21, 1996) -- Main draw action opened Friday at the 1996 Bud Light World Beach Volleyball Invitational, with the U.S. women's pair of Krista Blomquist and Wendy Fletcher posting two upsets during today's opening rounds. The $290,000 double elimination tournament, which is part of the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) 1996 World Championship Series, features 32 men's and 32 women's international two-player beach volleyball teams. Blomquist and Fletcher, who earned a berth into the main draw field by advancing through Wednesday and Thursday qualifying rounds, upset the No. 5 seeded team in their opening match on Friday, besting Brazilians Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede 15-10. Besides being the tournament's highest seeded team to lose a match here today, Behar and Bede have finished in the top three at the last two international tournaments. Blomquist and Fletcher followed their opening round win with a 15-8 victory over Canadians Malowney and Broen-Ouellette. Blomquist and Fletcher helped lead the way for an excellent day for American teams. Three additional U.S. women's teams stayed perfect, winning two matches apiece and advancing to the third round of the winner's bracket. On the men's side, the U.S. Olympic duo of Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel carried the U.S. banner by winning both of their matches. In all, eight U.S. women's teams, including all three women's Olympic tandems, advanced to Saturday's play, while Smith and Henkel were the only one of two U.S. men's teams to stay alive in the tournament. The rest of the men's and women's brackets held fairly true to form Friday with all other men's and women's teams seeded fifth and higher remaining undefeated. No. 2 seeded Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno had little trouble with their opponents, winning 15-3 and 15-8 in their two matches today. They will face off against fellow Americans Carolyn Kirby and Lisa Arce tomorrow, by virtue of two Kirby/Arce wins. Barbra Fontana Harris and Linda Hanley were the final American women's team to remain undefeated today, and will square off against the world's No. 1 team of Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires of Brazil tomorrow. Main draw action includes 38 of a possible 42 Olympic teams, with only one women's Olympic team missing and three men's teams not in action. The Hermosa Beach event is the final U.S.-based international tournament prior to the 1996 Olympic Games, where beach volleyball will make its debut as a medal sport. Play begins again Saturday at 9 a.m. at the tournament complex, located at Pier and The Strand. Play concludes on Sunday, June 23, with championship matches scheduled for 1 and 2:30 p.m. Results from Main Draw Tournament -- Friday, June 21, 1996 Women's Division -- First Round Winner's Bracket Jackie Silva/Sandra Pires (Brazil) def. Marianne Bolinger/Denise Koelliker (Switzerland) 15-1 Barbra Fontana-Harris (Laguna Beach, Calif.)/Linda Hanley (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) def. Laura Bruschini/Cristiana Parenzan (Italy) 15-2 Debora Schoon Kadijk/Lisette Van de Ven (Netherlands) def. Soto Velia/Mayra Huerta (Mexico) 15-8 Sarah Straton/Tenia Gooley (Australia) def. Anita Palm/Liane Fenwick (Australia) 15-12 Krista Blomquist(Branford, Ky.)/Wendy Fletcher(Manhattan Beach, Calif.) def. Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede (Brazil) 15-10 Margo Malowney/Barb Broen-Ouellette (Canada) def. Merita Bernsten/Ragni Hestad (Norway) 15-11 Karrie Poppinga (Mililani, Hi.)/Christine Schaefer (Florence, Ky.) def. Consuelo Turetta/Ana Maria Solazzi (Italy) 15-13 Kerri Pottharst/Natalie Cook (Australia) def. Janice Harrer (Honolulu, Hi. )/Gayle Stammer (San Antonio, Tex.) 15-13 Adriana Samuel/Monica Rodrigues (Brazil) def. Teresa Galindo/Laura Miranda (Mexico) 15-1 Isabel Barrosa/Gerusa Ferreira (Brazil) def. Audrey Cooper/Amanda Glover (England) 15-4 Yukiko Takahashi/Sachiko Fujita (Japan) def. Pernille Jorgensen/Camilla Funk (Denmark) 15-6 Beate Buhler/Danja Musch (Germany) def. Eva Cruz/Xiomara Molero (Puerto Rico) 15-1 Liz Masakayan (San Diego, Calif.)/Angela Rock (Carlsbad, Calif.) def. Annette Huygens-Tholen/Angela Clarke (Australia) 15-6 Carolyn Kirby (Brookline, Mass.)/Lisa Arce (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) def. Gail Castro (Carlsbad, Calif.)/Deb Richardson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) 15- 11 Teruko Nakano/Yukiko Ishizaka (Japan) def. Timy Yudhani/Berta Kaize Engel (Indonesia) 15-1 Holly McPeak (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)/Nancy Reno (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) def. Kristine Drakich/Jennifer Harkness (Canada) 15-3 Women's Division -- Second Round Winner's Bracket Silva/Pires (Brazil) def. Schoon Kadijk/Van de Ven (Netherlands) 15-12 Fontana-Harris/Hanley (USA) def. Straton/Gooley (Australia) 15-3 Blomquist/Fletcher (USA) def. Malowney/Broen-Ouellette (Canada) 15-8 Pottharst/Cook (Australia) def. Poppinga/Schaefer (USA) 15-10 Samuel/Rodrigues (Brazil) def. Barrosa/Gerusa Ferreira (Brazil) 15-12 Takahashi/Fujita (Japan) def. Buhler/Musch (Germany) 17-16 Kirby/Arce (USA) def. Rock/Masakayan (USA) 156 McPeak/Reno (USA) def. Nakano/Ishizaka (Japan) 15-8 Women's Division -- First Round Consolation Bracket Yudhani/Berta (Indonesia) def. Drakich/Harkness (Canada) 15-11 Castro/Richardson (USA) def. Huygens-Tholen/Clarke (Australia) 15-2 Jorgensen/Funck (Denmark) def. Cruz/Molero (Puerto Rico) 15-5 Galindo/Miranda (Mexico) def. Cooper/Glover (England) 15-5 Harrer/Stammer (USA) def. Turetta/Solazzi (Italy) 15-11 Berntsen/Hestad (Norway) def. Behar/Bede (Brazil) 15-10 Palm/Fenwick (Australia) def. Bruschini/Parenzan (Italy) 15-2 Velia/Huerta (Mexico) def. Bolinger/Koelliker (Switzerland) 15-2 Women's Division -- Second Round Consolation Bracket (loser's eliminated) Velia/Huerta (Mexico) def. Nakano/Ishizaka (Japan) 15-13 Rock/Masakayan (USA) def. Palm/Fenwick (Australia) 15-8 Buehler/Muesch (Germany) def. Bentsen/Hestad (Norway) 15-8 Harrer/Stammer (USA) def. Barrosa/Ferreira (Brazil) 17-15 Poppinga/Schaefer (USA) def. Galindo/Miranda (Mexico) 15-3 Malowney/Broen-Oulette (Canada) def. Jorgensen/Funck (Denmark) 15-11 Castro/Richardson (USA) def. Straton/Gooley (Australia) 15-4 Schoon Kadjik/Van de Ven (Netherlands) def. Yudhani/Berta (Indonesia) 15- 3 Men's Division -- First round Ze Marco Melo/Emanuel Rego (Brazil) def. Alfonso Avina/Gerardo Martinez (Mexico) 15-5 Para Ferreira/Guilherme Marques (Brazil) def. Javier Yuste/Miguel Prieto (Spain) 15-7 Javier Bosma/Sixto Jimenez (Spain) def. Dmitri Kouvitchka/Sergey Safyulin (Russia) 15-7 Francisco Alvarez/Juan Milanes Rosell (Cuba) def. Mochammad Nurmufid/Markoji Markojl (Indonesia) 15-5 Mark Heese/John Child (Canada) def. Craig Seuseu/Thomas Eade (New Zealand) 15-4 Jorg Ahmann/Axel Hager (Germany) def. Kazuyuki Takao/Shoji Setoyama (Japan) 15-6 Marek Pakosta/Michal Palinek (Czech Republic) def. Ed Drakich/Marc Dunn (Canada) 15-8 Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide (Norway) def. Frank Blasi/Don Lewis (Canada) 15-5 Esteban Martinez/Martin Conde (Argentina) def. Todd Schaefer/Mark Eller (USA) 15-8 Reid Hamilton/Glenn Hamilton (New Zealand) def. Christian Penigaud/Jean- Philippe Jodard (France) 15-6 Julien Prosser/Lee Zahner (Australia) def. Tom Englen/Figge Peterson (Sweden) 15-7 Paulo Emilio Azevedo/Paulao Paulo Costa (Brazil) def. James Olejnik/Mike Chaluopka (Canada) 15-4 Sinjin Smith/Carl Henkel (USA) def. Jose' Abrantes/Mariano Baracetti (Argentina) 15-7 Michel Everaert/Sander Mulder (Netherlands) def. Carlos Garrido/Roberto Moreira (Brazil) 15-8 Andrea Ghiurghi/Nicola Grigolo (Italy) def. Luis Maia/Joao Carlos Pereira (Portugal) 15-11 Franco Vieira Neto/Roberto Lopes Costa (Brazil) def. Antonio Babini/Marcho Solustri (Italy) 15-2 Men's Division -- Second Round (Winner's Bracket) Ze' Marco/Emanuel (Brazil) def. Para'/Guilherme (Brazil) 15-7 Alvarez/Milanes (Cuba) def. Bosma/Jimenez (Spain) 15-10 Heese/Child (Canada) def. Ahmann/Hager (Germany) 15-11 Kvalheim/Maaseide (Norway) def. Pakosta/Palinek (Czech Republic) 15-3 Martinez/Conde (Argentina) def. Hamilton/Hamilton (New Zealand) 15-3 Paulo Emilio/Paulao (Brazil) def. Prosser/Zahner (Australia) 16-14 Smith/Henkel (USA) def. Everaert/Mulder (Netherlands) 16-14 Franco/Roberto Lopes def. Ghiurghi/Grigolo (Italy) 15-13 Men's Division -- First Round Consolation Bracket Results (Losers eliminated) Avina/Martinez (Mexico) def. Yuste/Prieto (Spain) 15-11 Kouvitchka/Safyulin (Russia) def. Nurmufid/Markoji (Indonesia) 15-7 Seuseu/Eade (New Zealand) def. Takao/Setoyama (Japan) 16-14 Drakich/Dunn (Canada) def. Blasi/Lewis (Canada) 15-13 Penigaud/Jodard (France) def. Schaeger/Eller (USA) 15-7 Englen/Peterson (Sweden) def. Olejnik/Chaloupka (Canada) 15-6 Garrido/Moreira (Brazil) def. Salema/Baracetti (Argentina) 15-4 Maia/Brenha (Portugal) def. Solustri/Mascagna (Italy) 15-9 Men's Division -- Second Round Consolation Bracket (Losers eliminated) Ghiurghi/Grigolo (Italy) def. Avina/Martinez (Mexico) 15-5 Everaert/Mulder (Netherlands) def. Kouvitchka/Safyulin 15-4 Prosser/Zahner (Australia) def. Seuseu/Eade (New Zealand) 15-6 Drakich/Dunn (Canada) def. Hamilton/Hamilton (New Zealand) 15-9 Penigaud/Jodard (France) def. Pakosta/Palinek (Czech Republic) 15-6 Englen/Peterson (Sweden) def. Ahmann/Hager (Germany) 16-14 Bosma/Jimenez (Spain) def. Garrido/Moreira (Brazil) 15-4 Para/Guilherme (Brazil) def. Maia Brenha (Portugal) 15-5
HERMOSA BEACH, CALIF. - The Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour tandems of Karrie Poppinga/Christine Schaefer, Janice Harrer/Gayle Stammer and Krista Blomquist/Wendy Fletcher scored wins for the United States here Thursday (June 20) to advance main draw for this weekend's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship-Series event at The Pier.
The three qualifiers join five other teams from the Evian Tour in the 32-team main draw as play opens Friday at 9 a.m. Final seedings for the international event will be determined Thursday evening.
Olympic tandems of Holly McPeak/Nancy Reno, Barbra Fontana Harris/Linda Hanley and Gail Castro/Deb Richardson head the United States women into the competition along with the teams of Liz Masakayan/Angela Rock and Lisa Arce/Karolyn Kirby.
McPeak and Reno are currently seeded second in the FIVB event this weekend behind Brazilians Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva, who have won the last three international events in Brazil. Masakayan and Rock are seeded seventh in the competition while Fontana Harris and Hanley, who won last weekend's Evian U. S. Open in Ocean City, Md., are seeded eighth.
Arce and Kirby are seeded 10th in the main draw while Castro and Richardson have to await the qualification results to determine their seeding after receiving a "wild card" into the main draw.
Poppinga/Schaefer, who earned a spot in the main draw by defeating Harrer/Stammer 15-2 early Thursday, won all three of their qualifying matches.
Harrer/Stammer earned a spot in the main draw by eliminating Adriana Rodrigues/Karina Silva of Brazil 15-9. Blomquist/Fletcher advanced with a 15-8 win over Marie Andersson/Pat Keller from the Evian Tour. .
Here are Thursday's qualifying results:
Qualifying Results - Women Winner's Bracket - Karrie Poppinga (Mililani, Hi.)/Christine Schaefer (Florence, Ky., USA, def. Janice Harrer (Honolulu, Hi./Gayle Stammer (San Antonio, Tex.), USA, 15-2; Gerusa Costa/Isabel Salgado, BRA, def. Marie Andersson (Hawthorne, Calif.)/Pat Keller (Sarasota, Fla.), USA, 17-15. Qualifying Results - Women Loser's Bracket - Adriana Rodrigues/Karina Silva, BRA, def. Marla O'Hara (Agoura Hills, Calif.)/Ali Wood (Redondo Beach, Calif.), USA, 15-10; Harrer/Stammer, USA, def. Rodrigues/K. Silva, BRA, 15-9; Krista Blomquist (Branford, Conn.)/Wendy Fletcher (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), USA, def. Andersson/Keller, USA, 15-8. Qualifying Results - Women's Playoff - Marianne Bolinger/Denise Koeliker, SUI, def. Athena Gerochristodoulou/Kristina Vanaselja, CAN, 15-8; Marianne Bolinger/Denise Koeliker, SUI, def. Amarillis Flores/Liann Puig, PUR, 15-0 (forfeit).
NEWPORT OPEN NEXT
The Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, which is taking a break this weekend for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship-Series in Hermosa Beach (June 19-23), resumes competition June 29-30 on Easton's Beach in Newport, R. I.for the $40,000 Newport Open.
HERMOSA BEACH, CALIF. - Five Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour teams advanced following play here Wednesday (June 19) in the opening qualifying rounds of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship-Series event at The Pier.
Five Evian Tour teams have already earned berths in the event's 32- team main draw, including Olympic tandems Holly McPeak/Nancy Reno, Barbra Fontana Harris/Linda Hanley and Gail Castro/Deb Richardson.
The Evian Tour teams of Lisa Arce/Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan/Angela Rock are also entered in the main draw as the United States can earn another three spots Thursday.
The Evian Tour tandems of Janice Harrer/Gayle Stammer, Karrie Poppinga/Christina Schaefer, Marie Andersson/Pat Keller, Marla O'Hara/Ali Wood and Krista Blomquist/Wendy Fletcher will battle for the final three spots for the United States in the 32-team main draw of the international event.
The Harrer/Stammer, Poppinga/Schaefer and Andersson/Keller teams each won two qualifying matches Wednesday while O'Hara/Wood split a pair of matches and Blomquist/Fletcher won two matches in three trys. Nancy Brookhart and Desiree Leipham were eliminated as the Evian Tour team lost twice.
McPeak and Reno are currently seeded second in the FIVB event this weekend behind Brazilians Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva, who have won the last three international events in Brazil. Masakayan and Rock are seeded seventh in the competition while Fontana Harris and Hanley, who won last weekend's Evian U. S. Open in Ocean City, Md., are seeded eighth.
Arce and Kirby are seeded 10th in the main draw while Castro and Richardson have to await the qualification results to determine their seeding after receiving a "wild card" into the main draw. Here are Wednesday's qualifying results:
First-round - Janice Harrer (Honolulu, Hi.)/Gayle Stammer (San Antonio, Tex.), United States def. Nancy Brookhart (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)/Desiree Leipham (Reardon, Wash.), United States, 15-1; Kristine Drakich/Jennifer Harkness, Canada def. Annette Huygens- Tholen/Anglea Clarke, Australia, 15-11; Karrie Poppinga (Mililani, Hi.)/Christine Schaefer (Florence, Ky.), United States def. Amarillis Flores/Liann Puig, Puerto Rico, 15-1; Gerusa Costa/Maria Salgado, Brazil def. Marianne Bolinger/Denise Koelliker, Switzerland, 15-10; Marla O'Hara (Agoura Hills, Calif.)/Ali Wood (Redondo Beach, Calif.), United States def. Teresa Galindo/Laura Miranda, Mexico, 15-4; Marie Andersson (Hawthorne, Calif.)/Pat Keller (Sarasota, Calif.), United States def. Krista Blomquist (Branford, Conn.)/Wendy Fletcher (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), United States 15-7; Adriana Rodrigues/Karina Silva, Brazil def. Athena Gerochristodoulou/Kristina Vanaselja, Canada, 15-4. Second-round - Harrer/Stammer def. Renata Costa/Roseli Timm, Brazil, 15-8; Poppinga/Schaefer def. Drakich/Harkness, 15-2; G. Costa/Salgado def. O'Hara/Wood, 15-13; Andersson/Keller def. Rodrigues/K. Silva, 15-11. Third-round - Hyygens-Tholen def. Flores/Puig, 15-4; Galindo/Miranda def. Bolinger/Koelliker, 15-8; Blomquist/Fletcher def. Gerochristodoulou/Vanaselja, 15-4. Fourth-round - Rodrigues/Silva def. Brookhart/Leipham, 15-6; Blomquist/Fletcher def. R. Costa/Timm, 15-8.
Here are Thursday's opening pairings (9 a.m.) - Harrer/Stammer vs. Poppinga/Schaefer; G. Costa/Salgado vs. Andersson/Keller; Rodrigues/K. Silva vs. O'Hara/Wood.
NEWPORT OPEN NEXT
The Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, which is taking a break this weekend for the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship-Series in Hermosa Beach (June 19-23), resumes competition June 29-30 on Easton's Beach in Newport, R. I.for the $40,000 Newport Open.
HERMOSA BEACH, CALIF. - Here are the United States players in this week's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship-Series event at The Pier. The qualification rounds are Wednesday and Thursday (June 19- 20) with the 32-team main draws for both men and women Friday through Sunday (June 21-23).
WOMEN - Main Draw (seed)
Holly McPeak/Nancy Reno (2)
Liz Masakayan/Angela Rock (7)
Barbra Fontana Harris/Linda Hanley (8)
Lisa Arce/Karolyn Kirby (10)
Gail Castro/Deb Richardson (to be determined)
WOMEN - Qualification (seed)
Karrie Poppinga/Christine Schaefer (4)
Marla O'Hara/Ali Wood (6)
Krista Blomquist/Wendy Fletcher (7)
Nancy Brookhart/Desiree Leipham (8)
Janice Harrer/Gayle Stammer (9)
Marie Andersson/Pat Keller (10)
MEN - Main Draw (seed)
Carl Henkel/Sinjin Smith (7)
Mark Eller/Todd Schaefer (to be determined)
MEN - Qualification (seed)
David Becker/Devin Frisby (15)
Webmaster - Tom Jack
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