ICYMI: 5 Things That Happened In Volleyball Last Week

ICYMI: 5 Things That Happened In Volleyball Last Week

In the past week, A LOT has happened in the volleyball world. Catch up on the AVP Huntington Beach Open, FIVB Sochi Open, NCAA men's and beach championships and Karch Kiraly's USAV contract extension.

May 10, 2016 by Megan Kaplon
ICYMI: 5 Things That Happened In Volleyball Last Week
In the past week, A LOT has happened in the volleyball world. So much, that even the most ardent volleyball fan might have had trouble keeping track of it all. Luckily, we're here to bring you up to speed on the biggest events of the past seven days.

1. USC won the inaugural NCAA beach volleyball championship. The Trojans went undefeated throughout the eight-team bracket, even defeating Florida State twice in a row, in the semis and final of the double-elimination tournament. Top USC pair Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes finished their junior seasons with an unbelievable 48-0 record. Read more about the NCAA beach volleyball championship here.

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2. Ohio State defeated BYU in the NCAA men’s volleyball title match. The Buckeyes entered the national championship match as underdogs, but after a come-from-behind victory in extra points in the first set, the tournament No. 3 seed dominated BYU to earn the ultimate prize. For more info on the 2016 NCAA men's volleyball championship, from play-ins to the final, click here.

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3. Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross crushed everyone at the AVP Huntington Beach Open. The top American women’s pair only allowed their AVP opponents to score an average of 11.6 points a set as they steamrolled through the Huntington Beach bracket. They met Geena Urango and Angela Bensend in the final, dispatching the up-and-coming team 21-13, 21-16. Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb defeated Taylor and Trevor Crabb in the men’s final 21-19, 23-21. Check out all our coverage of the AVP Huntington Beach Open.

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4. USA Volleyball renewed Karch Kiraly’s coaching contract with the women’s national team. The legendary indoor and beach player and the current head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team will stay with the program through the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Since taking the head position in September 2012, Kiraly has led the team to a 102-20 record, including the first-ever FIVB Women’s World Championship gold medal for the USA women.

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5. Tri Bourne and John Hyden brought home bronze from the FIVB Sochi Open. The only men’s duo that chose to compete overseas instead of in the AVP Huntington Beach Open, Bourne and Hyden lost to Italy’s Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo in the semifinals but defeated Italy’s Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri 21-19, 19-21, 15-9 in the third-place match. It was the fourth time that Bourne and Hyden have played Carambula and Ranghieri on the FIVB tour, and the two teams are currently tied 2-2.

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The volleyball action slows down a little bit this weekend. Jen Kessy and Emily Day, along with Hyden and Bourne and Jeremy Casebeer and Derek Olson, will travel to Antalya, Turkey, for the next FIVB Open. Tomorrow, the U.S. Men’s National Team will play the second of its two-match series versus Japan at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid.