The U.S. beach volleyball team of Kerry Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor defeated Marta Menegatti and Greta Cicolari of Italy in straight sets in their quarterfinal match Sunday. The final score was 21–13, 21–13.
The American women were both on their games Sunday, so the Italians really had no chance. On the few occasions they could beat Walsh-Jennings’s blocks they couldn’t beat May-Treanor’s diving digs, and both Americans were shooting straight and hard.
May-Treanor has been playing magnificently throughout the Olympics. Walsh Jennings had her best match of the last two weeks, adjusting her blocks on the fly, reaching out with one hand to knock balls down, while May-Treanor scooped balls out of the sand and either tapped or blasted them over the net, whichever the Italians didn’t expect of couldn’t defend.
May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings play the Chinese team of Xue Chen and Xi Zhang in the semifinals on Tuesday, August 7.
