Beach Volleyball: Locals remain in hunt
NEW YORK — The women’s semifinals of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals New York City Open on Sunday are loaded with Costa Mesa residents, including top-seeded April Ross and her partner, Kerri Walsh Jennings.
Ross, a Newport Harbor High product, and Walsh Jennings defeated Costa Mesa resident Jennifer Fopma and Brittany Hochevar, the No. 5 seed, 21-15, 21-18, in a quarterfinal on Saturday.
The third Costa Mesa resident is Sara Hughes, who along with USC teammate Kelly Claes, came out of the qualifiers bracket to advance to the semifinals.
Ross and Walsh Jennings will square off in one semifinal against Hughes and Claes, who helped USC claim the inaugural NCAA beach volleyball title in May.
Fopma and Hochevar will face No. 2-seeded Lane Carico and Summer Ross in the other semifinal Sunday at 9 a.m.
The final will take place Sunday.
Hughes and Claes, the No. 14-seed, fell to Carico and Ross, 16-21, 21-15, 16-14, in a 49-minute quarterfinal clash on Saturday. But Hughes and Claes rebounded in the double-elimination format to produce a 21-15, 21-16 victory over Meg Dawson and Delaney Knudsen, then a 21-16, 21-10 triumph over No. 7-seeded Amanda Dowdy and Emily Stockman to reach the semifinals.
Hughes and Claes finished third in last year’s New York City Open, their top AVP showing. They are guaranteed at least third place in this year’s event.
Fopma and Hochevar defeated No. 4-seeded Emily Day and Jennifer Kessey, 15-21, 21-19, 15-11, in 54 minutes to reach the semifinal.
Ross has won the last four AVP events in which she has competed, the last nine when playing with Walsh Jennings, who missed most of last season’s events with a shoulder injury. The last time Ross and Walsh Jennings did not win an AVP tournament they entered together was 2013.
Ross and Walsh Jennings won the Huntington Beach Open earlier this season, their only previous AVP event in 2016.
In winning all eight games in their four matches thus far in New York, Ross and Walsh Jennings have outscored opponents a combined 168-103.
Former UC Irvine indoor player Whitney Pavlik and partner Sheila Shaw, the No. 9 seed, finished seventh and will split $3,800.
— Barry Faulkner
— Barry Faulkner