USA’s Cheng/Shaw and Cannon/Kraft also guaranteed their spots in the elimination rounds in Newport Beach.
FIVB World Ranking leaders Thamela Coradello and Victoria Lopes have successfully advanced to the elimination rounds of this week’s Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Newport Beach Elite tournament in California. They are among the first three teams to qualify for the next stage of the competition.
After the initial 12 pool play matches concluded on Wednesday, the Brazilian duo, along with two teams representing the host nation, the United States, officially secured their places in the upcoming elimination rounds.
Following a commendable second-place finish at the Rio de Janeiro Elite tournament two weeks prior, the Brazilians displayed strong form in their Pool C matches on Wednesday. They clinched two victories: a convincing 2-0 (21-17, 21-13) win against Americans Hailey Harward and Molly Phillips, and a hard-fought tie-breaker triumph (20-22, 21-15, 15-8) over their compatriots Talita Antunes and Taiana Lima. This undefeated streak on their opening day in Newport Beach guaranteed their progression to the elimination rounds.
Americans Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw also faced the same opponents and secured a pair of wins, thereby ensuring their advancement. They overcame Talita and Taiana 2-1 (20-22, 24-22, 15-8) and swept Harward and Phillips 2-0 (21-14, 21-15).
On Thursday, two crucial matches involving teams from Brazil and the United States are scheduled. The winners of the encounter between Thamela/Victoria and Cheng/Shaw will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the stronger team from the Talita/Taiana vs. Harward/Phillips match will claim Pool C’s third spot in the elimination rounds, earning the right to compete in the Round of 12.
Cannon and Kraft Also Qualify
Pool D also saw two rounds of matches on Wednesday, with Americans Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft emerging as the sole undefeated team, securing their tickets to the elimination rounds. They defeated two fellow American teams, downing Corinne Quiggle and Chloe Loreen in straight sets (26-24, 21-16) and battling through a tie-breaker (17-21, 21-14, 16-14) to triumph against Sara Hughes and Ally Batenhorst.
After Brazilians Carol Salgado and Rebecca Cavalcanti defeated Hughes and Batenhorst 2-1 (15-21, 21-13, 15-11), and Quiggle and Loreen overcame the South Americans also in three sets (21-23, 21-19, 16-14), all three teams remain in contention for the remaining two spots in the elimination rounds from Pool D.
The other two pools completed only one round of matches on Wednesday. In Pool A, American Olympians Taryn Brasher and Kristen Nuss swept their compatriots Alaina and Morgan Chacon 2-0 (21-17, 21-13). Meanwhile, Austrian sisters Ronja and Dorina Klinger defeated Germans Sandra Ittlinger and Anna-Lena Grüne also in straight sets (21-15, 21-16). In another pool, Olympic champions Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil dominated Americans Jaden Whitmarsh and Devon Newberry with a 2-0 (25-23, 21-18) victory. Americans Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg also got a head start, coming from behind to defeat Germans Louisa Lippmann and Linda Bock in three sets (13-21, 21-16, 16-14).
Pool play will conclude on Thursday with the final 12 matches. Pool winners will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked second and third will compete in the Round of 12. Both the Round of 12 and quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Friday, with the semifinals and medal matches set to take place on Saturday.
Oliver Wrenwick