USA pairs go 3-3 Friday as pool play begins in FIVB Beach Volleyball Championships

Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander won their match, but Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner lost theirs as pool play got underway in the FIVB Beach Volleyball Championships in Rome on Friday. 

On the women’s side, the USA also split. Sarah Sponcil and Terese Cannon and Kelly Cheng and Betsi Flint won their matches, but Emily Day and Emily Stockman and Sara Hughes and Kelley Kolinske lost theirs.

Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb, a late entry, open play Saturday when they face Thailand’s Surin Jongkland and Banlue Nakprakhong.

The Taylors play Oympic bronze-medalists Cherif Samba and Ahmed Tijan of Qatar, and Schalk and Brunner face Mozambique’s Ainadino Martinho and Jorge Monjane.

Cheng and Flint face Switzerland’s Esmee Bobner and Zoe Verge-Depre, while Hughes and Kolinske play Ecuador’s Ariana Castro and Karelys Simisterra. 

Crabb and Sander battled to a 21-18, 20-22, 15-13 victory over France’s Youssef Krou Arnaud Gauthier-Rat.

Schalk and Brunner lost to Norwegians Mathias Berntsen and Hendrik Mol 21-23, 21-17, 15-12.

Sponcil and Cannon, who are off Saturday, swept Cuban Olympians Leila Martinez and Lidy Echeverria 21-16, 21-21-19.

Cheng and Flint walloped Italy’s Valentina Cali and Marghertia Tega 21-11, 21-13.

Day and Stockman dropped a tough one to the Finnish pair of Taru Lahti and Niina Ahtianen 14-21, 21-13, 15-12.

And Hughes and Kolinske fell to Italy’s Marta Menegatti and Valentina Gottardi 21-17, 21-19.

Click here for the complete men’s schedule and results, courtesy of BVBinfo.com, and here for the women’s schedule and results.

PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM!
Keep free volleyball journalism free by becoming a VolleyballMag.com Sustaining Member:  https://volleyballmag.com/sustaining-membership/  
Or make a contribution through Venmo @VolleyballMag 

VBM Staff