Hughes-Kolinske lone USA team left in Volleyball World Beach Itapema Challenge semifinals

The semifinal are set and just one USA pair, Sara Hughes and Kelley Kolinske, are left in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Itapema Challenge.

Fifth-seeded Huges and Kolinske play ninth-seeded Germans Karla Borger and Julia Sude in one Sunday semifinal, while 11th-seeded Brazilians plays the early season surprise of the pro season, second-seeded Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam of the Netherlands. The gold- and bronze-medal matches are later Sunday.

On the men’s side there is also a Brazil-Netherlands matchup when Leon Luini and Ruben Penninga of the Netherlands, seeded 21st after getting out of the qualifier and knocking out the last American pair on Saturday, play top-seeded Brazilians Andre Loyola and George Wanderly. In the other semifinal, third-seeded Czechs Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner face 12th-seeded Estonians Kusti Nolvak and Mart Tiisar.

Hughes and Kolinske won both their pool-play matches and in the round of 16 knocked out Italians Margherita Bianchin and Claudia Scampoli before beating sixth-seeded Brazilians Carolina Salgado and Barbara Seixas 21-14, 21-23, 15-12.

The USA’s Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss got out of the qualifier, split their pool-play matches, and and beat fellow Americans Terese Cannon and Sarah Sponcil 21-16, 21-17 for 17th place. 

That got them into the round of 16, but they lost to Brazil’s Andressa Cavalcanti and Vitoria De Souza 21-14, 19-21, 19-17.

The only other USA pair in the women’s tournament was Lauren Fendrick and Emily Stockman. They also split their pool-play matches and in the round of 16 lost to Brazilans Hegeile Almeida and Taianaa Lima 21-18, 17-21, 15-9.

Fendrick and Stockman and Kloth and Nuss both split $2,500, while Cannon and Sponcil took home $1,500. Hughes and Kolinske, of course, are hoping for a big payday on Sunday.

The USA had only two men’s entries. Chase Budinger and Troy Field lost in the qualifier. 

Eighth-seeded Theo Brunner and Chaim Schalk won both their pool-play matches and then beat sixth-seeded Italians Daniele Lupo and Alex Ranghieri 26-24, 21-18.

But in the quarterfinals, they were ousted by Luini and Penninga 21-14, 21-9. Brunner and Schalk took home $3,750.

Click here to see all the women’s results on BVBinfo.com, and here for the complete list of men’s results.

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VBM Staff