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B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Communications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: bj.evans@usav.org
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 24, 2012) – The U.S. women’s beach volleyball team of Heather Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif.) and Summer Ross (San Diego, Calif.) has advanced to the main draw of the Bangsaen Thailand Open, the final event on the women’s 2012 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH World Tour.
Hughes and Ross, seeded No. 4 in the qualification bracket, defeated Thailand’s No. 13 Supattra Juajan and Prateep Kambut, 21-17, 21-10 in 28 minutes on Wednesday to advance to Thursday’s main draw.
Hughes and Ross are seeded 24th in the main draw and will face No. 18 Miller Elwin and Henriette Iatika of Vanuatu in the first round of the double-elimination tournament.
The U.S. team of Jennifer Kessy (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) received the top seed in the main draw after Brazil’s Larissa França and Juliana Felisberta da Silva, who have already won the 2012 FIVB World Tour Championship, withdrew.
Kessy and Ross will play Japan’s No. 31 Ayumi Kusano and Mutsumi Ozaki in the first round.
The U.S. team of Nicole Branagh (Orinda, Calif.) and Lauren Fendrick (Carlsbad, Calif.) is seeded sixth in the main draw and will open Thursday against Norway’s Vilde Solvoll and Cindy Treland.
The U.S. team of Emily Day (Torrance, Calif.) and Brittany Hochevar (Fowler, Colo.) is seeded No. 19 in the main draw and will play Thailand’s No. 17 Varapatsorn Radarong and Tanarattha Udomchavee.
The semifinals will be played on Saturday followed by the medal matches on Sunday.
More information about the event is available on the FIVB web site.