Injuries and the end of Olympic qualification have inspired some intriguing new partnerships for this weekend’s AVP San Francisco Open. Get the inside scoop on these fresh pairings and then decide which teams will find success in the full-strength main draw at San Francisco’s Pier 30 and 32.
Jen Kessy and Jen Fopma
Though Kessy and Fopma have both played on the professional domestic tours for more than 10 years, they’ve never joined forces. Head-to-head, Kessy owns a 14-6 record playing across the net from Fopma, but Fopma has experienced the most success on the AVP recently, taking a second in Seattle and a third in New York. Kessy spent all of 2015 and the first half of 2016 pursuing an Olympic berth with Emily Day, while Fopma paired up with Brittany Hochevar at the start of 2016. Day and Kessy decided to split after they failed to qualify for the Olympics.
Emily Day and Brittany Hochevar
In a classic partners swap, Kessy and Fopma’s former partners, Day and Hochevar, will pair up for the San Francisco Open. This won’t be the duo’s debut, however, as they have played together four times previously—in the 2012 Bang Saen Open where they finished 13th; the 2013 Shanghai Grand Slam, where they finished 25th; the 2013 Guatemala City NORCECA, where they took third; and the 2014 Xiamen Open, where they finished ninth. Both explosive athletes who know how to win, this should be a good partnership that could do some damage in their first AVP event together. The duo also plans to travel to Austria together next month to compete in the Klagenfurt Major (July 26-30).
Ryan Doherty and Ty Tramblie
Doherty bowed out of the Seattle Open due to an ankle injury, and when he still wasn’t fully healed enough to play the New York Open, his partner John Mayer picked up Stafford Slick. With Slick and Mayer choosing to pair up again for the San Francisco event, Doherty will play with Ty Tramblie. Tramblie, who won his first title at last year’s Chicago Open with Keenan, should enjoy putting his tenacious brand of defense to work behind Doherty’s 7-1 block.
Brad Keenan and Todd Rogers
Keenan, who accepted the head coaching position with Arizona State’s beach volleyball program last month, was ready to throw in the towel on his professional beach volleyball playing career, but Todd Rogers was able to talk him into playing one last event. This pair of collegiate beach coaches—Rogers is the head beach coach at Cal Poly—will look to out strategize their opponents in hope of sending Keenan into retirement with bang.
Jen Kessy and Jen Fopma
Though Kessy and Fopma have both played on the professional domestic tours for more than 10 years, they’ve never joined forces. Head-to-head, Kessy owns a 14-6 record playing across the net from Fopma, but Fopma has experienced the most success on the AVP recently, taking a second in Seattle and a third in New York. Kessy spent all of 2015 and the first half of 2016 pursuing an Olympic berth with Emily Day, while Fopma paired up with Brittany Hochevar at the start of 2016. Day and Kessy decided to split after they failed to qualify for the Olympics.
Emily Day and Brittany Hochevar
In a classic partners swap, Kessy and Fopma’s former partners, Day and Hochevar, will pair up for the San Francisco Open. This won’t be the duo’s debut, however, as they have played together four times previously—in the 2012 Bang Saen Open where they finished 13th; the 2013 Shanghai Grand Slam, where they finished 25th; the 2013 Guatemala City NORCECA, where they took third; and the 2014 Xiamen Open, where they finished ninth. Both explosive athletes who know how to win, this should be a good partnership that could do some damage in their first AVP event together. The duo also plans to travel to Austria together next month to compete in the Klagenfurt Major (July 26-30).
Ryan Doherty and Ty Tramblie
Doherty bowed out of the Seattle Open due to an ankle injury, and when he still wasn’t fully healed enough to play the New York Open, his partner John Mayer picked up Stafford Slick. With Slick and Mayer choosing to pair up again for the San Francisco event, Doherty will play with Ty Tramblie. Tramblie, who won his first title at last year’s Chicago Open with Keenan, should enjoy putting his tenacious brand of defense to work behind Doherty’s 7-1 block.
Brad Keenan and Todd Rogers
Keenan, who accepted the head coaching position with Arizona State’s beach volleyball program last month, was ready to throw in the towel on his professional beach volleyball playing career, but Todd Rogers was able to talk him into playing one last event. This pair of collegiate beach coaches—Rogers is the head beach coach at Cal Poly—will look to out strategize their opponents in hope of sending Keenan into retirement with bang.