After winning all three of their matches in group play, the American beach volleyball tandem of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena began their quest for a gold medal with a round of 16 match Saturday night. And while Austrians Robin Seidl and Alexander Huber offered up a challenge, they were unable to slow down Dalhausser and Lucena.
Dalhausser and Lucena won in straight sets, taking the first 21-14 and following that up with a 21-15 win in the second set. For their efforts Dalhausser and Lucena get the Brazilian pair of Alison and Bruno Schmidt in the quarterfinal round.
WATCH: Dalhausser and Lucena advance to quarterfinal round
Dalhausser served up three of the team’s four aces on the night, while Lucena tallied 18 successful digs.
Alison and Bruno Schmidt, who were upset by Austria’s Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst in three sets in group play, defeated Spain’s Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira in straight sets Saturday morning, winning the first set 24-22 and the second by a more comfortable margin of 21-13. Monday’s quarterfinal match will pit two of the top ten beach volleyball teams in the world against each other, with Dalhausser and Lucena ranked second by the FIVB and Alison and Bruno Schmidt tenth (as of August 8).
