Beach Volleyball news

With a pair of upset wins here Wednesday at the US$350,000 GE Money Bank Mazury Open, Belgium's Liesbet Van Breedam and Liesbeth Mouha improved their standing for the Beijing 2008 Olympics by moving ahead of two teams into the 24th spot for Summer Games consideration. photo FIVB

It was successful day for Beach Volleyball power Brazil on the Hotel Anders courts at the US$350,000 GE Money Bank Mazury Open as four women’s teams from the South American country combined to win five matches here Thursday. photo FIVB

The third of June has always been a "special day" for Lucilla Perrotta as the two-time Italian Olympian celebrated her 33rd birthday here Tuesday with a pair of Qualification Tournament wins with partner Daniela Gattelli to advance to the Main Draw of the US$350,000 GE Money Bank Mazury Open

With former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch in attendance for the SWATCH FIVB World Tour women’s finale here Saturday at the Plaça Carles Buïgas, Americans Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs completed “a remarkable comeback” to capture the gold medal at the US$350,000 Hyundai Open Barcelona on the steps in front of the National Museum of Art of Catalunya. photo FIVB

After dropping their second match of the US$350,000 Hyundai Open Barcelona, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs recovered from the setback to win five-straight elimination matches to reach the SWATCH FIVB World Tour semi-finals where the Americans upset Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca here Friday afternoon to reach their second international Beach Volleyball finale. photo FIVB

Women’s Beach Volleyball teams from South American and Europe are pacing the field at the US$350,000 Hyundai Open Barcelona as the tandems of Juliana Felisberta Silva/Larissa Francaof Brazil and Vassiliki Arvaniti and Vasso Karadassiou of Greece won a pair of matches each Thursday to advance to the “final four” at this week’s SWATCH FIVB World Tour event. photo FIVB

After placing 25th two weeks ago in Korea, a pair of Beach Volleyball wins by Simone Kuhn and Lea Schwer here Wednesday at the US$350,000 Hyundai Open Barcelona helped end a run of SWATCH FIVB World Tour disappointments for the Swiss pair. photo FIVB

Top-seeded Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil rebounded from an earlier setback in the US$175,000 Keihan/SMFG Japan Open to win a pair of matches here Sunday to capture their second SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal in 2008 by defeating China’s Jia Tian and Jie Wang in the finale. photo FIVB

On an excellent day for Beach Volleyball here Wednesday at the historic Nakanoshima Park on an island between the Oojima and Tosabori Rivers in the financial district, eight women's teams earned Main Draw berths for the US$175,000 Keihan/SMFG Japan Open. photo FIVB

Despite a constant rain and wet sand conditions, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs won the bronze medal at the US$175,000 Seoul Open here Sunday afternoon by defeating three-time SWATCH FIVB World Tour champions Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil. photo FIVB

Playing in a heavy rain here Sunday afternoon, China’s Chen Xue and Xi Zhang captured their third SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal by defeating Brazilians Shelda Bede and Ana Paula Connelly on the wet centre court sand at the Han River Jamsil Citizen Park to win the US$175,000 Seoul Open.

Fourth-seeded Chen Xue and Xi Zhang did not let a 10-point defeat in the first set of a quarter-final match with top-seeded Brazilians Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca affect their play as the young Chinese Beach Volleyball tandem rallied in the next two sets to advance to the "final four" of the US$175,000 Seoul Open here Friday afternoon. photo FIVB

After finishing a disappointing 13th in the 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour season opener at the end of March, Americans Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder were looking to improve their play on the international Beach Volleyball circuit starting here Thursday at the US$175,000 Seoul Open

The 2008 SWATCH FIVB World Tour will be staged on two continents this week with the women resuming competition in Asia as qualifying for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games continues for the planet's top Beach Volleyball players.

Further underlining the continued success of Volleyball and Beach Volleyball as Olympic disciplines is the news that tickets for the tournaments at the Beijing Games have already been sold out. photo FIVB

Like their male counterparts, teams from Brazil and host China earned the first two spots in this week’s SWATCH FIVB World Tour event after winning a pair of Beach Volleyball matches each here Friday, but the South American entry of Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro was a “surprise”. photo FIVB

Another day, but the same results for Beach Volleyball power Brazil as two women’s team from the South American country earned “final four” berths through the elimination bracket here Saturday at the US$350,000 China Shanghai Jinshan Open. photo FIVB

After three rounds and 28 matches, eight teams from Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Italy Mexico, the Netherlands and the Ukraine advanced from a 36-team Qualification Tournament to the women's Main Draw here Wednesday for the US$350,000 China Shanghai Jinshan Open. photo FIVB

For the first-time since 2003, Mexico made its presence felt at a double gender SWATCH FIVB World Tour event as a men’s and women’s team from the North American country advanced to the Main Draw of this week’s US$350,000 China Shanghai Jinshan Open. photo FIVB

With three of their compatriots losing matches here Thursday, Chen Xue and Xi Zhang will lead China’s Beach Volleyball efforts into Friday’s schedule seeking to regain a spot on the China Shanghai Jinshan Open podium where they were awarded the gold medal in 2006. photo FIVB

The second of four-straight SWATCH FIVB World Tour events for women with the Asian confederation of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball begins here Wednesday with qualifying to determine the final eight berths in the "money" rounds of the US$350,000 China Shanghai Jinshan Open. photo FIVB

With a four-week break since the first event on the 2008 calendar in Australia, the SWATCH FIVB World Tour returns to China for the 11th-straight year as the Jinshan District of Shanghai hosts the first of three "major" events on the international Beach Volleyball schedule in the Asian country this season.

The United States won The Norceca Beach Volleyball Ball Title on Sunday. Erin Byrd (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and Stephanie Chapek (Bloomington, Minn.) topped the women’s side with a 21-19, 21-13 win over Laura Molina and Ivonne Soler of El Salvador.

After almost eight months of inactivity, Vassiliki Arvaniti and Vasso Karadassiou are eager to return to competition on the SWATCH FIVB World Tour as the Greek pair looks to solidify a spot among the top six teams for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

U.S. beach volleyball teams had a busy weekend at the AVP Crocs Tour event in Dallas, at the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit event in Guatemala and at the Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship in San Diego.

The FIVB has confirmed the structure of the drawing of lots that will determine the composition of the Preliminary Round Pools in the Beijing Olympic Games Beach Volleyball Tournaments. photo FIBA