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Deb Stadick
Intern, Communications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: deb.stadick@usav.org
@USA_Volleyball - @USAVBeach - USAV Facebook
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 13, 2012) –The U.S. beach volleyball teams of Justine Wong-Orantes and Sarah Hughes along with Bennett Bird and Riley Mallon earned top-ten 10 finishes on Friday at the 2012 FIVB SWATCH Youth (U-19) World Championships being held in Larnaka, Cyprus.
The boys’ main draw featured 32 teams from 30 countries.
Bird (San Diego, Calif.) and Mallon (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), seeded No. 9 at Cyprus, went 1-2 in pool play.
In the first round of single elimination on Friday, Bird and Mallon defeated the Croatian team of Ivan Zeljkovic and Mario Boras (No. 18), 21-14, 21-18 in 43 minutes.
The duo advanced to the second round, but fell to Germany’s fourth-seeded Max Betzien and Max-Jonas Karpa, 21-13, 21-13 in 32 minutes. They end their run at Cyprus ranked ninth.
The main draw on the girls’ side hosted 32 teams from 27 countries.
Wong-Orantes (Cypress, Calif.) and Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif.), seeded No. 8 at Cyprus, went 3-0 in pool play and earned a first-round bye in single elimination.
In the second round, the duo fell to Lithuania’s 18th-seeded Ieva Dumbauskaite and Monika Povilaityte, 21-18, 22-20 in 39 minutes. Wong-Orantes and Hughes conclude their run at Cyprus ranked ninth.
The championship matches are slated for Saturday.
For more information about the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH Youth (Under-19) World Championships, visit the FIVB web site.