AVP Austin: Dalhausser and Lucena cruise, women’s side wide open

The main draw got under way Friday in Texas for AVP Austin and top-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena are obviously the clear men’s favorite with a select few top teams competing in FIVB Rio.

Dalhausser and Lucena dominated No. 16 Piotr Marciniak and Raffe Paulis 21-13, 21-16 and then No. 9 Derek Olson and Curt Toppel 21-16, 21-12.

By contrast, no single team has a lock on the women’s field, as evidenced by the upset of No. 1 Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen by Texas locals Amanda Dowdy and Irene Hester Pollock, the ninth-seed, 21-12, 14-21, 15-9.

“Competing on stadium court in front of a hometown crowd was so special for both Irene and I,” Dowdy said. “We got to share our winning moments with our family and friends. For a lot of them it’s their first time to witness us compete on the AVP in person.

“These are the people that go through the good times and the tough times with us so it was extra special to share in the good today. Their support was amazing and helped carry us through today. It was a great day and we can’t wait for tomorrow.”

There were relatively few upsets in the men’s bracket, as No. 2 Trevor Crabb and Sean Rosenthal, No. 3 Billy Allen and Stafford Slick and No. 4 Jeremy Casebeer and John Mayer advanced to Saturday’s winners-bracket semifinals.

No. 12 Ed Ratledge and Eric Zaun scored the upset of the day in a 21-17, 21-11 win over No. 5 Ty Loomis and Ty Tramblie.

“It’s super tough playing in this Texas heat,” Zaun said. “We have been pushing through and chugging Avitae caffeine water during timeouts. We are playing wired and leaving everything that we have out on the court.”

No. 10 Kevin McColloch and Roberto Rodriguez-Bertran, thwarted in the Huntington qualifier by Reid Priddy and Chaim Schalk, made the most of their main-draw opportunity with a first-round upset of No. 7 Marty Lorenz and Adam Roberts 21-18, 21-14. McColloch and Rodriguez-Bertran will get a rematch of sorts Saturday morning at 11:30, facing Reid Priddy and partner du jour Maddison McKibbin.

In the women’s draw, No. 3 Kim DiCello and Emily Stockman made the flight back to Austin after missing qualification in Rio and were obviously over their jet lag as they battled through No. 12 Kimberly Smith and Xi Zhang 18-21, 21-19, 15-9, and then No. 6 Caitlin Ledoux and Heather McGuire 19-21, 21-15, 15-9.

Also making the winners-bracket semifinals were Team TexMex, No. 4 Angela Bensend and Geena Urango, and No. 2 Whitney Pavlik and April Ross.

In the contender’s bracket, there were two upsets as No. 15 USC alums Nicolette Martin and Allie Wheeler eliminated No. 10 Janelle Allen and Briana Hinga 17-21, 12-14, 15-11. Next, No. 14 Smith and Zhang took out No. 11 Alix Klineman and Jace Pardon 17-21, 21-14, 15-11.

Saturday’s matches can be seen at www.avp.com/live.

Men’s winners bracket
Round 1
Match 1: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (1) def. Piotr Marciniak/Raffe Paulis (16, Q13) 21-13, 21-16 (0:45)
Match 2: Derek Olson/Curt Toppel (9) def. Mark Burik/Avery Drost (8) 14-21, 21-16, 15-13 (1:08)
Match 3: Ed Ratledge/Eric Zaun (12, Q1) def. Ty Loomis/Ty Tramblie (5) 21-17, 21-11 (0:44)
Match 4: Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer (4) def. Maddison McKibbin/Reid Priddy (13) 21-17, 21-11 (0:37)
Match 5: Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (3) def. Francisco Quesada-Paneque/Troy Schlicker (14, Q7) 21-13, 23-21 (0:45)
Match 6: Brian Bomgren/Tim Bomgren (6) def. Michael Brunsting/Chase Frishman (11) 21-15, 21-16 (0:39)
Match 7: Kevin McColloch/Roberto Rodriguez-Bertran (10) def. Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts (7) 21-18, 21-14 (0:40)
Match 8: Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal (2) def. Orlando Irizarry/Ian Satterfield (15, Q11) 22-20, 21-17 (0:42)
Round 2
Match 9: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (1) def. Derek Olson/Curt Toppel (9) 21-11, 21-12 (0:32)
Match 10: Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer (4) def. Ed Ratledge/Eric Zaun (12, Q1) 21-16, 21-11 (0:36)
Match 11: Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (3) def. Brian Bomgren/Tim Bomgren (6) 21-15, 21-14 (0:40)
Match 12: Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal (2) def. Kevin McColloch/Roberto Rodriguez-Bertran (10) 21-18, 21-14 (0:42)
Round 3
Match 13: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (1) vs. Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer (4)
Match 14: Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (3) vs. Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal (2)

Men’s contenders bracket
Round 1
Match 15: Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts (7) def. Orlando Irizarry/Ian Satterfield (15, Q11) 21-14, 20-22, 15-13 (1:00)
Match 16: Michael Brunsting/Chase Frishman (11) def. Francisco Quesada-Paneque/Troy Schlicker (14, Q7) 21-17, 21-13 (0:35)
Match 17: Maddison McKibbin/Reid Priddy (13) def. Ty Loomis/Ty Tramblie (5) 21-18, 21-17 (0:47)
Match 18: Mark Burik/Avery Drost (8) def. Piotr Marciniak/Raffe Paulis (16, Q13) 21-16, 21-14 (0:43)
Round 2
Match 19: Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts (7) vs. Ed Ratledge/Eric Zaun (12, Q1)
Match 20: Michael Brunsting/Chase Frishman (11) vs. Derek Olson/Curt Toppel (9)
Match 21: Maddison McKibbin/Reid Priddy (13) vs. Kevin McColloch/Roberto Rodriguez-Bertran (10)
Match 22: Mark Burik/Avery Drost (8) vs. Brian Bomgren/Tim Bomgren (6)    

Women’s winners bracket

Round 1
Match 1: Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen (1) def. Karissa Cook/Lara Dykstra (16, Q13) 21-16, 21-18 (0:33)
Match 2: Amanda Dowdy/Irene Hester Pollock (9) def. Karolina Marciniak/Kendra VanZwieten (8) 18-21, 21-18, 16-14 (0:54)
Match 3: Jennifer Fopma/Kelly Reeves (5) def. Katie Spieler/Amanda Wiggins (12) 21-15, 21-13 (0:35)
Match 4: Angela Bensend/Geena Urango (4) def. Aurora Davis/Bree Scarbrough (13, Q2) 22-20, 21-11 (0:45)
Match 5: Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman (3) def. Kimberly Smith/Xi Zhang (14, Q6) 18-21, 21-19, 15-9 (0:57)
Match 6: Caitlin Ledoux/Heather McGuire (6) def. Alix Klineman/Jace Pardon (11) 25-23, 21-16 (0:45)
Match 7: Sheila Shaw/Brittany Tiegs (7) def. Janelle Allen/Briana Hinga (10) 21-17, 21-15 (0:40)
Match 8: Whitney Pavlik/April Ross (2) def. Nicolette Martin/Allie Wheeler (15, Q9) 21-16, 21-14 (0:37)
Round 2
Match 9: Amanda Dowdy/Irene Hester Pollock (9) def. Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen (1) 21-12, 14-21, 15-9 (0:53)
Match 10: Angela Bensend/Geena Urango (4) def. Jennifer Fopma/Kelly Reeves (5) 16-21, 21-17, 15-11 (1:00)
Match 11: Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman (3) def. Caitlin Ledoux/Heather McGuire (6) 19-21, 21-15, 15-9 (1:05)
Match 12: Whitney Pavlik/April Ross (2) def. Sheila Shaw/Brittany Tiegs (7) 21-12, 21-13 (0:36)
Round 3
Match 13: Amanda Dowdy/Irene Hester Pollock (9) vs. Angela Bensend/Geena Urango (4)
Match 14: Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman (3) vs. Whitney Pavlik/April Ross (2)    

Women’s contenders bracket
Round 1
Match 15: Nicolette Martin/Allie Wheeler (15, Q9) def. Janelle Allen/Briana Hinga (10) 17-21, 21-14, 15-11 (1:02)
Match 16: Kimberly Smith/Xi Zhang (14, Q6) def. Alix Klineman/Jace Pardon (11) 25-23, 16-21, 15-11 (0:50)
Match 17: Aurora Davis/Bree Scarbrough (13, Q2) def. Katie Spieler/Amanda Wiggins (12) 21-23, 21-16, 15-12 (1:01)
Match 18: Karolina Marciniak/Kendra VanZwieten (8) def. Karissa Cook/Lara Dykstra (16, Q13) 21-17, 16-21, 15-11 (1:00)
Round 2
Match 19: Nicolette Martin/Allie Wheeler (15, Q9) vs. Jennifer Fopma/Kelly Reeves (5)
Match 20: Kimberly Smith/Xi Zhang (14, Q6) vs. Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen (1)
Match 21: Aurora Davis/Bree Scarbrough (13, Q2) vs. Sheila Shaw/Brittany Tiegs (7)
Match 22: Karolina Marciniak/Kendra VanZwieten (8) vs. Caitlin Ledoux/Heather McGuire (6)     

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