Briefs: Ross in AVP semis
Top-seeded April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings advanced to the semifinals of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Huntington Beach Open.
Ross, a Costa Mesa resident, and Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, defeated No. 5-seeded Angela Bersend and Geena Urango, 21-14, 21-14, in 38 minutes in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals on Saturday.
Ross and Walsh Jennings will face No. 2-seeded Kim DiCello and Kendra VanZwieten in Sunday morning’s semifinals that start at 9 a.m. The final will follow on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The men’s semifinals begin at 10 a.m., and the fianl is at 2 p.m.
Ross and Walsh Jennings have swept three matches in the winner’s bracket thus far.
DiCello and VanZwieten, who won the season-opening AVP event in New Orleans in which Ross and Walsh Jennings did not compete, battled back from the contender’s bracket to reach the semifinals.
Former UC Irvine indoor standout Whitney Pavlik, paired with Sheila Shaw, lost to Bersend and Urango, 21-17, 21-12, for the right to advance to the semifinals out of the contender’s bracket Saturday.
Pavlik and Shaw were knocked from the winner’s bracket by DiCello and VanZwieten, who earned a 21-18, 21-18 win early Saturday.
Pavlik and Shaw finish tied for fifth and split $5,200.
— From staff reports
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Hughes, USC in NCAA final
GULF SHORES, Ala. — Costa Mesa resident Sara Hughes, a junior at USC, helped the No. 1-ranked and No. 2-seeded Women of Troy defeat top-seeded Florida State, 3-1, on Saturday and advance to the final of the inaugural NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.
Hughes and junior partner Kelly Claes posted a 21-14, 21-19 victory over Julie Brown and Jace Pardon at the No. 1 pairs spot in the semifinal triumph on Saturday.
Hughes and Claes, the Pair of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference this season, have won 72 straight matches. They are 47-0 this season.
USC will meet either Florida State or UCLA in the final.
The event features a team format, similar to tennis.
— From staff reports