Eleven American teams advanced into today’s FIVB Cincinnati Open elimination rounds, which you can watch all day here. This event is one of two international beach volleyball tournaments that will be played on American soil this year and spectating will be a lot more entertaining if you get to know some of the foreign players competing against Team USA. If you get familiar with these guys now, the Olympics will be that much more exciting come August.

Here are our picks for the top eight international teams to watch in the elimination rounds of the Cincinnati Open.

Women’s Bracket

Linline Matauatu and Pata Miller, Vanuatu

Matauatu and Miller represent the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, and in the past couple years they have established themselves as one of the toughest teams on the international tour. At only 5-7 and 5-9, respectively, the pair relies on ball control and defense to win matches, and they have pulled off big upsets over top-ranked teams, including Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler of Germany, Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth of Italy, and Madelein Meppelink and Marleen Van Iersel of the Netherlands. Currently ranked 20th in the Provisional Olympic Rankings, this duo will be battling to raise their standing and accomplish their ultimate goal of playing in the Rio Olympics.

Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley, Canada

Ranked No. 6 in the Provisional Olympic Rankings, Pavan and Bansley are mostly free of the Olympic qualification pressure that is driving other teams at this point in the season. The top Canadian duo had a breakout season in 2015, claiming two silver and two bronze medals and finishing fourth in the Swatch FIVB World Tour Finals in Fort Lauderdale last October. They are the No. 2 seed in Cincinnati and certainly a favorite to appear in the medal rounds.

Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia, China

Chen Xue, a two-time Olympian and one-half of the 2013 World Championship team, has played off and on with 19-year-old Xinyi Xia since Xue’s former partner Xi Zhang retired midway through the 2013 season. Xue and Zhang won 17 FIVB tournaments together between 2006 and 2013, but Xue and Xia haven't won a tournament since the very beginning of their partnership when they won two in a row. So far in Cincinnati, they have gone 2-1 in pool, including defeating Americans Lane Carico and Summer Ross in straight sets.

Elsa Baquerizo McMillan and Liliana Fernández Steiner, Spain

This Spanish duo has played together since 2007, collecting four silver medals along the way and representing their country in the London Olympics where they finished ninth. Elsa and Liliana currently rank 13th in the Provisional Olympic Rankings, making it very likely they will play for Spain in Rio. They went 2-1 to win their tough pool, which featured Xue and Xia of China as well as Carico and Ross.
 

Men’s Bracket

Juan Virgen and Lombardo Ontiveros, Mexico

This duo has had their best season yet, and they hope to extend their success through to the Rio Olympics. The 6-2 Ontiveros and 6-6 Virgen won bronze medals at this year’s Xiamen Open and Fuzhou Open and are so far undefeated in Cincinnati, earning a bye into the second round of elimination play. Currently ranked No. 17 in the Provisional Olympic Rankings, every finish counts for this team on the rise.

Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter, Canada

This duo paired up at the end of the 2013 season. The 35-year-old Binstock represented Canada in London, picking up the 26-year-old Schachter after former partner Martin Reader stopped playing internationally at the end of 2012. Binstock and Schachter are the second-highest ranked Canadian men’s team, collecting one gold medal and two silvers since forming their partnership. They likely won’t be able to surpass top Canadian duo Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton in the rankings, but a good finish in Cincy could put them in contention for an Olympic berth.

Jonathan Erdmann and Kay Matyski, Germany

Erdmann and Matyski trail their countrymen Markus Böckermann and Lars Flüggen in the rankings by just 200 points. This duo has played together since 2009, including competing in the 2012 London Olympics where they finished ninth. This year, they snagged a silver medal at the Fortaleza Open and hope to elevate their standings enough to qualify for Rio.

Bennet Poniewaz and Alexander Walkenhorst, Germany

This young duo of 22-year-old Poniewaz—the taller of the Poniewaz twins who are both competing in the Cincinnati Open—and 27-year-old Alexander Walkenhorst could be the future of German volleyball. At 6-6 and 6-9, this is Team Big, like a younger and slightly taller version of Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb. By winning their pool, Walkenhorst and Poniewaz are guaranteed their best finish as partners even if they lose their first elimination round match to Ryan Doherty and John Mayer.