Dalhausser/Rogers and Kessy/Ross prevail on Jersey Shore

AVP Press Release – BELMAR, N.J. —- Women’s top seeds Jennifer Kessy and April Ross continued their amazing June run, winning their third consecutive tournament this month with a 21-16, 21-13 win over Rachel Scott and Elaine Youngs in Sunday’s final of the AVP Nivea Tour Belmar Open Presented by Lexus.

Unlike their previous title wins in Huntington Beach, Calif. and Virginia Beach, Kessy and Ross needed to advance through the contenders’ bracket after losing to Scott and Youngs, 14-21, 17-21 Sunday in the winner’s bracket semifinals. With victories over Lauren Fendrick and Ashley Ivy (21-11, 21-13) and No. 2 seeds Nicole Branagh and Misty May-Treanor, 21-14, 19-21, 15-11, Kessy and Ross earned themselves an afternoon re-match with Scott and Youngs for championship bragging rights.

“It really fired us up,” said Kessy. “We did not want to lose to this team (Youngs and Scott) again and we wanted redemption from earlier in the morning. But advancing though the consolation bracket was definitely challenging.”

The Belmar Open marked the first tournament for Kessy and Ross as a number one seed.

“I think we come in with the same mentality in all of our matches, regardless of what our seed is,” Kessy said.

Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser ended June the same way they began it, with a win over John Hyden and Sean Scott in the finals of a tournament. The 2008 Olympic gold medalists secured their third championship of 2010 with a hard-fought victory over Hyden and Scott, 21-19, 21-15 in a battle of the top two seeds. On June 6, Dalhausser and Rogers captured the Huntington Beach Open with a win over Hyden and Scott, 21-16, 18-21, 15-9.

“We’re playing at a pretty high level right now”, said Dalhausser. “There’s some great competition out there, so we just have to continue to execute, especially defensively.”

Dalhausser and Rogers’ lone bump in the road this weekend came in the Game 2 loss to Casey Patterson and Kevin Wong, 22-20, during the semifinals. They rebounded to win the third and decisive game, 16-14, in advancing to the finals against Hyden and Scott, and earning their 52nd career championship together.

The AVP NIVEA Tour schedule resumes in three weeks with the Hermosa Beach Open, July 16-18 in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

BELMAR, N.J. (AP) — Top seeds Jennifer Kessy and April Ross advanced Saturday to the semifinals at the AVP Nivea Belmar Open by beating Brooke Hanson and Lisa Rutledge.

Kessy and Ross are seeking their third straight tournament victory.

They will meet Rachel Scott and Elaine Youngs, who rallied to beat defending Belmar Open champions Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan. Also advancing were the teams of Nicole Branagh and Misty May-Treanor and Angie Akers and Tyra Turner.

In the men’s division, the top-seeded team of Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser — who won the Olympic Gold medal in 2008 — moved into the semifinals by winning three matches. If they win the title on Sunday, it would be there third tournament win this year.

Also advancing to the semifinals were the teams of John Hyden and Sean Scott, Will Strickland and Aaron Wachtfogel, and Casey Patterson and Kevin Wong.

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Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/06/26/volleyball.ap/index.html#ixzz0s2z6e7ub

Last night I had the pleasure of being at the premiere broadcast of Joe Buck’s new live show on HBO. here are some snapshots I took from the night.