Following an opening-match loss to Cuba, U.S. beach volleyball team Miles Partain/Andy Benesh bounced back and grabbed a much-needed Pool D win against Morocco at Eiffel Tower Stadium.
Partain/Benesh — the youngest U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team in history — defeated Zouheir El Graoui/Mohamed Abicha in straight sets, 21-12, 28-26, amid the blistering Paris heat.
The first set didn't provide much of a test for the Americans, as they unleashed a five-point run and cruised into the second.
But the second set proved to be a challenge. El Graoui/Abicha made things 9-8 at one point, and the Moroccans found success targeting Partain in space. A six-point U.S. run made it 17-9, but Morocco mounted a comeback to tie the set at 20.
Benesh thought he sealed the win with a block, but officials ruled he touched the net, which tied the set at 25. A Moroccan error and a Benesh point eventually earned the duo their first Olympic victory.
The U.S. was efficient on the attack and tallied four aces, doing just enough to take the win in straight sets.
Partain/Benesh return to competition against Brazil's George/Andre on Thursday.