Beach U21 National Team Named after U21 World Championship Trials

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 9, 2021) – Six beach pairs earned spots on the U.S. Beach U21 National Team Friday at the 2021 FIVB U21 Beach Volleyball World Championship Trials in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

On the men’s side, Caleb Kwekel/Dylan Zacca

won gold, finishing with a 6-0 record and not dropping a set. The Florida pair beat Peyten Young/Eric Winn in the championship match, 2-0 (21-13, 21-14). Young/Winn took silver after going 3-3 in the tournament.

Rounding out the podium, Matt Gentry/Phillip Catanzaro claimed bronze after a 2-0 (21-14, 21-19) win in the third-place contest. They ended up with a 3-4 record, winning twice in the playoff bracket.

Lexy Denaburg/Madelyne May Anderson took gold on the women’s side to cap another perfect bracket. The pair went 2-0 in pool play to claim the playoff bracket’s top seed and then won three knockout matches. Denaburg/Anderson also won every set they contested. In the finale, the two collegiate athletes – Denaburg at UCLA, Anderson at Florida State – beat Audrey Nourse/Nicole Nourse, who play together for USC, 2-0 (21-10, 21-14).

Raelyn White/Caitlin Godwin won bronze. They went 2-0 in pool play and won their first playoff match before losing to Nourse/Nourse in the semifinals. The Texas/Florida duo rallied to beat Lara Boos/Shae Henson, 2-1 (18-21, 21-18, 15-9).

With their performance at the trials, all six medalist pairs have earned a spot on the 2021 U.S. Beach U21 National Team. Kwekel/Zacca and Denaburg/Anderson have also earned the opportunity to represent the U.S. at the 2021 Beach Volleyball U21 World Championship in Roi Et, Thailand, on Sept. 24-29. Should the U.S earn a second bid in each gender, Young/Winn and Nourse/Nourse will receive those bids. The third-place finishers, Gentry/Catanzaro and White/Goodwin, will be alternates.

Zacca will also represent the U.S. at the Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships a few days before in Roi Et. Kwekel took silver at those trials and is awaiting word on a second U.S. berth in that tournament.

All six pairs will also participate in a training camp July 26-28 in Fort Lauderdale alongside the Beach NDTP Summer Training Series.

Beach U21 National Team Roster

Men

Name (Hometown, USAV Region, School (if applicable))

Phillip Catanzaro (Cleveland Heights, Ohio; Ohio Valley Region)

Matt Gentry (Hudson, Ohio; Ohio Valley Region; Lincoln Memorial)

Caleb Kwekel (Sarasota, Florida; Florida Region; North Greenville)

Eric Winn (Cumming, Georgia; Georgia Region; Lindenwood)

Peyten Young (Orange Beach, Alabama; Gulf Coast Region; Webber International)

Dylan Zacca (Pembroke Pines, Florida; Florida Region)

Women

Name (Hometown, USAV Region, School (if applicable))

Madelyne May Anderson (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; Florida Region; Florida State)

Lexy Denaburg (Merritt Island, Florida; Florida Region; UCLA)

Caitlin Godwin (St. Petersburg, Florida; Florida Region; Florida State)

Audrey Nourse (Newport Beach, Florida; Southern California Region; USC)

Nicole Nourse (Newport Beach, Florida; Southern California Region; USC)

Raelyn White (Austin, Texas; Lone Star Region; Florida State)

U.S. Beach National Team Wraps up Gstaad Four-star

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 9, 2021) – Members of the U.S. Beach National Team wrapped up a FIVB World Tour four-star event in Gstaad, Switzerland, Friday, a tournament that served as the final Olympic tune-up for Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil.

Four pairs, including Claes/Sponcil reached the tournament’s knockout rounds. The Olympic nominees advanced the furthest, winning in the Round of 24 before dropping a 2-0 decision to Latvia’s Tina Graudina/Anastasija Kravcenoka in the Round of 16. Kelley Kolinske/Emily Stockman also reached the women’s Round of 24, falling to Brazilian duo Ana Patricia Silva Ramos/Rebecca Cavalcanti Barbosa Silva in two sets.

Two American men’s pairs also earned spots in the knockout stages. Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb battled against Julius Thole/Clemens Wickler of Germany. The Germans took the first set 21-19 and held a late lead in the second. Bourne/Crabb rallied and pushed the frame into extra points, but Thole/Wickler prevailed 25-23 to complete the sweep. Meanwhile, Theo Brunner/Chaim Schalk lost to Adrian Heidrich/Mirco Gerson, a Swiss team playing in their home tournament.

Corinne Quiggle/Allie Wheeler successfully navigated Gstaad’s qualifier and earned a berth in the main draw, the first four-star main draw for either player. Their run came to an end in pool play, however, after facing Kolinske/Stockman in an elimination match. Emily Day/Sara Hughes also exited the tournament after pool play.

Both Chase Budinger/Casey Patterson and Miles Evans/Bill Kolinske won first-round matches in the Gstaad qualifier but lost in the second qualification round.

Claes/Sponcil will next take the court later this month in Tokyo for the Olympic Games July 24-August 6, but many of the other teams that competed in Gstaad will play in tournaments before then. There are tournaments in Rubavu, Rwanda (July 14-18), and Leuven, Germany (July 15-18) and two in Sofia, Bulgaria (July 15-18, July 22-25).