The sun came out (and stayed out), the temperatures warmed, the rain moved off to France, and normal beach attire was the order of the day in the early evening Beach Volleyball session at the Horse Guards Parade Ground as Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings beat Italy in the quarter final match to move on to the semi-final round. Spectators in the 9:00 session were not as fortunate when players donned long shirts and tights. Still, chants of "USA, USA" still rang out as Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy defeated a tough Czech Republic pair to also move on to the semis. The later matches were the noisier of the two as the announcer has made a point of whipping up the crowd by encouraging to keep the Prime Minister awake late into the evening (Number 10 Downing backs onto the stands).
Beach volleyball is fast becoming one of the most popular Olympics venues. The court is small enough that the spectators are near to the action and the play is fast and explosive. An oddity as the sport developed is that having the serve is not really as advantageous as it might seem. Aces are rare and the top teams easily handle even the hardest of serves to get the ball to a spike position. The difference in the two matches was the experience of the American teams. The semis are no certainty, particularly for Ross-Kessy, who face a very tough Brazilian pair. Still, an all U.S. final is possible.
Misty Sets for Kerri
Kerri Tips a Winner
Long Rally Ends in a Point for Misty and Kerri
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