B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 16, 2011) – The U.S. men’s beach volleyball team of Jeff Carlson and Tony Ciarelli has advanced to the fourth round at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China while the U.S. women’s team of Emily Day and Heather Hughes has made it to the third round.

The U.S. men’s team of Connor Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif./UC Irvine) and Maddison McKibbin (Honolulu, Hawaii/USC) along with the women’s team of Geena Urango (Los Alamitos, Calif./USC) and Jane Chefeh (Fontana, Calif./Cal State San Bernardino) remain alive in consolation.

After going 1-2 in pool play, Carlson and Ciarelli have remained in the winners’ bracket, advancing on Tuesday with a 21-19, 21-14 victory over Germany’s Nils Rohde and Stefan Kohler.

Day (Torrance, Calif./Loyola Marymount) and Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif./Loyola Marymount) went undefeated in pool play and won two more matches on Tuesday. First the pair defeated Satchel Senupe and Jennifer Manzano of the Philippines, 21-11, 21-8. Then the U.S. team beat Svetlana Popva and Victoriya Rastykus of Russia, 21-18, 21-12.

Hughes and McKibbin lost their third-round match to Poland’s Michal Kadziola and Jakum Szalankiewicz, a pair that has competed on the FIVB Swatch World Tour, 21-15, 21-16. Hughes and McKibbin will play in the consolation bracket on Wednesday.

Urango and Chafeh moved to the women’s consolation bracket after losing their first-round match to Canada’s Caleigh Whitaker and Kristina Valjas, 17-21, 21-10, 15-7.

Urango and Chafeh won their first match of the tournament in consolation, with a 17-21, 21-8, 15-13 victory over Japan’s Yui Nagata and Anjiera Ishida.

Men’s semifinals and medal matches are scheduled for Thursday with the women’s to follow on Friday.

COBRA SPORTS