The Olympic beach volleyball tournament gets started with six matches in pool play, featuring a healthy mix of Olympic favorites and young upstarts looking to seize their opportunity. Played at the beautiful Eiffel Tower Stadium, this year's competition has the making of an all-time tournament.
Details from each match of day one are below.
Men's Pool A: Sweden def. Australia
World No. 1 team David Aahman/Jonatan Hellvig handled business against Izac Carracher/Mark Nicolaidis, but were pushed by the Australians despite winning in straight sets.
The Swedish phenoms were an efficient 23-for-30 on their attacks and controlled the pace of play until the end of the second set.
Carracher/Nicolaidis mounted a four-point comeback to make it 20-19 in the second set, but a service error by Nicolaidis gave Sweden the win.
Men's Pool D: Cuba def. USA
Miles Partain/Andy Benesh, the youngest U.S. beach volleyball team in history, lost to Noslen Diaz/Jorge Alayo of Cuba in straight sets to start Pool D play on the men's side.
Cuba fed off the crowd late in the first set, winning a tide-shifting rally to take a 17-16 lead. Diaz/Alayo built on that lead to take the first set 21-18.
More of the same occurred in the second set, as Alayo/Diaz were the more tactical and efficient team throughout the match. Cuba won the second set 21-18 yet again.
Women's Pool B: Australia def. China
With the Eiffel Tower looking on, Pool B play opened in epic fashion with Australia staving off China’s hard-fought comeback to take the match 2-1. Reigning silver medalists, Australia’s Taliqua Clancy/Mariafe Artacho battled back in the first set after letting down an early lead following clutch serves by China’s Xue Chen/Xia Xinyi.
Xue and Xia altered both their offense and defense in the second set, but Clancy and Artacho weren’t going down easy. China prevailed, taking the second set and forcing a third.
With pressure mounting, China built momentum for another comeback in the third, forcing the set to go to three set points, but ultimately it was service pressure at crucial moments that captured the win for Clancy and Artacho.
Men's Pool D: Brazil def. Morocco
Heavy favorites George/Andre of Brazil were tested early by Morocco’s Zouheir El Graoui/ Mohamed Abicha, but avoided the upset at Eiffel Tower Stadium.
It was a close first set, and Morocco looked to have a chance before an illegal Moroccan attack gave Brazil the first set by a 3-point margin.
Despite their lengthy odds, El Graoui/Abicha fought hard to start the second set. The Moroccan duo was eventually worn out by George/Andre’s pressure and fell 21-10 in the second.
The Brazilians went 20-for-38 on the attack and were able to outduel a Moroccan side which went a less efficient 22-for-50.
Women's Pool B: USA def. Canada
U.S. duo Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss impressed in their beach volleyball Pool B opener, defeating Canada's Heather Bansley/Sophie Bukovec in straight sets as the Eiffel Tower looked on in Paris.
Kloth/Nuss led by as many as five points in the first set, comfortably displaying their chemistry against a quality Canadian team. The former LSU Tigers took a 21-17 first-set victory into the second, where they built on their strong showing.
Kloth's strength at the net and Nuss' brilliance with the ball were too much to overcome, as the Americans took the second set 21-17 for the victory.
Men's Pool A: Qatar def. Italy
Tokyo bronze medalist Qatar defeated Italy in straight sets, 21-19 and 21-18.
The first set ebbed and flowed, but Cherif Younousse provided two critical blocks to give Qatar the edge, then added another three in the second.
Qatar won an incredible rally late in the second with two diving digs from Ahmed Tijan to go up 18-16.
Italy's Cottafava/Nicolai play Australia's Nicolaidis/Carracher next, while Cherif/Tijan take on the Swedes, with which they now sit atop Pool A.