BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Tramblie keeps it going

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Ty Tramblie kept the good times rolling Friday in South Carolina with another upstart win, this time over No. 7-seed Jason Ring and Aaron Wachtfogel.

No. 18 seed Tramblie, a Newport Harbor alumnus, and his partner Mike Morrison, defeated Ring and Wachtfogel, 21-19, 14-21, 19-17, to advance to the losers’ bracket semifinal of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Charleston double-elimination tournament in Charleston, S.C.

It’s the farthest the pair have ever advanced on the tour. Their best finish was 13th in Dallas. They entered the Huntington Beach Open as a qualifier and finished 17th. Even if they lose today, they’re guaranteed to finish in the single digits.

“We played the whole season together last year, then we played with different partners and both improved during the off season ... then we reunited,” Morrison said in an AVP release. “We’re just really clicking we have a lot of chemistry.”

Ross finds win

CHARLESTON, S.C. — April Ross and Jennifer Boss also won in Charleston Friday, advancing to the women’s semifinal with a 21-17, 21-13 win over Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder.

Ross, another Newport Harbor graduate, and Boss are currently third in the U.S. points standings for Olympic qualification.

Each country is allowed two representatives.

Gibb advances in FIVB

PRAGUE — Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal will be the first U.S. men’s team to qualify for the Olympics after the Federation Internationale de Volleyball Prague Open.

Gibb, a Costa Mesa resident, and Rosenthal are actually behind in the points standings, second to Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, but they will be the first American men’s team to have actually notched eight FIVB finishes, which is the bare minimum for Olympic qualification.

Gibb, and Rosenthal, the No. 13 seed, will play in today’s semifinal after snapping a three-match losing streak to Bram Ronnes and Emiel Boersma of the Netherlands. They won, 21-18, 21-15 Friday. Gibb and Rosenthal placed fourth in the Adelaide opener after winning their first four matches before losing in the medal rounds.

Matt Fuerbringer, who graduated from Estancia High, and his partner, Casey Jennings lost their second match in the double-elimination tournament Friday and finished ninth.

Fuerbringer and Jennings and Stein Metzger and Mike Lambert of Costa Mesa are expected to make a qualifying push before the July 20 qualifying deadline.

— From staff reports