Kerri Walsh Jennings is now 25-0 in Olympic play in her storied career, as she and partner April Ross took care of business to advance to the quarterfinals of the women’s beach volleyball tournament.
The Americans dispatched Italy’s Marta Menegatti and Laura Giombini in straight sets, winning the first set 21-10 and the second by a score of 21-16. With the win the Americans will play either Poland’s Kinga Kolosinska and Monika Brzostek or Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Louise Bawden in the quarterfinals Sunday.
At one point in the first set the Americans trailed 6-5, but from that point forward Walsh Jennings and Ross grabbed complete control of the match. They outscored Giombina and Menegatta 15-4 from that point forward to take the first set, and while the Italian pair performed better in the second set they didn’t have enough to take down Walsh Jennings and Ross.
Walsh Jennings has lost just two sets in her Olympic career, with her first three Olympic gold medals being won with Misty May Treanor. Ross has yet to win an Olympic gold medal, and she moved one step closer to changing that Friday night.