ADELAIDE, Australia — It took just 25 matches in a World Championship that will include 216 of them for what might be the upset of the tournament to finish.
Australia’s wildly athletic 40 seed, D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse upended USA Volleyball’s James Shaw and Chaim Schalk, 16-21, 24-22, 17-15 in front of a lively and lubricated home crowd on the outer courts. Granted, Shaw and Schalk are the 9 seed by virtue of Steven van de Velde and Alex Brouwer dropping out, but still: Potts and Pearse have just one top-10 in a Challenge this season, and that came in a watered-down event in Nuvali.
It was an eye-opener, both because of the result itself and the level of play. It puts them in an excellent position to break pool, with matchups still to come against Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, who cracked off a 6-0 run to sweep Ruben Penninga and Matthew Immers, 21-16, 21-19. That pool will no doubt get messy.
Onto day two.
Javi Bello celebrates at the Rio Elite16/Volleyball World photo
Men’s Beach Volleyball World Championships match of the day
Javier Bello and Joaquin Bello vs. Jacob Holting-Nilsson and Elmer Anderson
11 am local
7:30 pm EST (Friday)
4:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
The Bellos dropped their first in an excellent match against France’s Arnaud Gauthier-Rat and Teo Rotar, 17-21, 21-15, 15-9, while Sweden smushed Australia’s Ben Hood and Oliver Merritt, 21-15, 21-8. This should be a tremendous match between two young, high-octane teams, with Sweden as the favorites, but it’s still the Bellos. Anything can happen.
Women’s Beach Volleyball World Championships match of the day
Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno vs. Jasmine Fleming and Stefie Fejes
5 pm local
1:30 am EST
10:30 pm (Friday) Pacific
Spain’s NCAA Champions out of TCU rebounded from a 12-21 thumping of a first set against Lithuania’s Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte to win the next two, 21-19, 15-12. While Australia’s Jasmine Fleming and Stefie Fejes didn’t upset defending World Champ Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw, they played well, losing 21-18, 21-19 in a match that was just a side out battle. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Australia get their first win, but this should be a close match.
Andy Benesh and Miles Partain get a rematch from Newport against Kristians Fokerots and Martins Plavins/Volleyball World photo
Other key matchups from day two in Adelaide
Martins Plavins and Kristians Fokerots vs. Andy Benesh and Miles Partain
Noon local
8:30 pm EST (Friday)
5:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
George and Saymon vs. Paul Burnett and Thomas Hodges
2 pm local
10:30 pm EST (Friday)
7:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans vs. D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse
3 pm local
11:30 pm EST (Friday)
8:30 pm EST (Friday)
Thamela and Victoria vs. Michelle Valiente and Giuliana Corrales
4 pm local
12:30 am EST
9:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig vs. Andre and Renato
4 pm local
12:30 am EST
9:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
Chaim Schalk and James Shaw vs. Ruben Penninga and Matthew Immers
4 pm local
12:30 am EST
9:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger vs. Yves Haussener and Julian Freidli
5 pm local
1:30 am EST
10:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
Clemence Vieira and Aline Chamereau vs. Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon
6 pm local
2:30 am EST
11:30 pm Pacific (Friday)
Annique Niederhauser and Leona Kernen vs. Xia Xinyi and Yan Xu
7:30 pm local
4 am EST
1 am Pacific
Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler vs. Sam Schachter and Jonathan Pickett
8:30 pm local
5 am EST
2 am Pacific
Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic vs. Melanie Paul and Lea Kunst
10 pm local
6:30 am EST
3:30 am Pacific
