Ross upset; Gibb advances

KLAGENFURT, Austria — The top-seed duo of April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings were upset in the round of 16 on Friday at the Federation Internationale de Volleyball Klagenfurt Grand Slam beach tournament.

Ross, a Costa Mesa resident who starred at Newport Harbor High, and Walsh Jennings, who won the FIVB World Series of Beach Volleyball last weekend in Long Beach, were eliminated, 21-18, 16-21, 15-10, by the No. 8-seeded German pair of Karla Borger and Britta Buthe.

Ross, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist, and Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, went 3-0 in pool play, all sweeps, to qualify for the 24-team single-elimination playoffs.

In the men’s tournament, Costa Mesa resident Jake Gibb and partner Casey Patterson from Huntington Beach, won Friday to advance to Saturday’s round of 16.

Gibb and Patterson, seeded No. 16, eliminated No. 5-seeded Emanuel Rego and Pedro Solberg Salgado of Brazil, 21-19, 18-21, 18-16, in a 57-minute battle on Friday.

Gibb and Patterson square off against the No. 4-seeded Latvian team of Aleksandrs Samoilis and Janis Smedins in Saturday’s round of 16. The men’s quarterfinals are also scheduled for Saturday, with the semifinals and final set for Sunday.

The top-seeded American men’s team of Phil Dalhausser and former Corona del Mar resident Sean Rosenthal, who had reached the final in the last four FIVB events, including three titles, was eliminated, 24-22, 21-14, by the No. 21-seeded Australian pair of Isaac Kapa and Christian McHugh in the first round of single-elimination playoffs on Friday.

Gibb and Patterson went 1-2 in pool play, including a loss to Dalhausser and Rosenthal, but still advanced to the playoffs.

Next up for Ross and Walsh Jennings is the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals event in Salt Lake City, beginning Thursday and continuing through Aug. 10.

— From staff reports