Olympic beach volleyball results 2016: Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross defeat Swiss in 3 sets

Kerri Walsh Jennings and her former beach volleyball partner, Misty May-Treanor, are generally considered to be the greatest beach volleyball tandem of all time. May-Treanor has retired, and Walsh Jennings hasn’t missed a beat with her new partner, April Ross. On Wednesday, the duo defeated Isabelle Forrer and Anouk Vergé-Dépré of Switzerland Wednesday in three sets to advance to the Round of 16 in the Rio Olympics.

Forrer and Vergé-Dépré presented more of a challenge to Walsh Jennings and Ross than they’ve faced thus far in Rio, but Walsh Jennings and Ross won the first set 21-13. They surrendered the second set to the Swiss, losing 24-22, but locked up the victory in the third set, winning 15-12.

It’s the duo’s third win since arriving in Rio. In their first match together, Walsh Jennings and Ross defeated Nicole Laird and Mariafe Artacho of Australia in two sets. The Australians looked outmatched, and Walsh Jennings and Ross took them in straight sets, winning 21-14 and 21-13.They then faced the Chinese team of Wang Fan and Yue Yuan, getting off to a slow start, but securing the win in two sets, 21-16 and 21-9.

Walsh Jennings dealt with shoulder injuries throughout 2015, but does not appear to be hindered at all in these Olympics. She remains undefeated in the Olympics with a record of 21-0. She has a career record of 42-1 in tournament matches.

Ross and Walsh Jennings secured a spot in the single elimination Round of 16, which begins Saturday, with their win over China.

The second-seeded Brazilian team of Agatha Bednarczuk and Bárbara Seixas fell in a stunning upset to the 10th-seeded Spanish team of Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernández. Fernández and Baquerizo defeated the Brazilian team in straight sets, 21-17 and 22-20. The Spanish women won Pool B with three wins, and both teams advance to the Round of 16.

China’s Fan and Yuan and Australia’s Laird and Artacho, both teams defeated by Team USA’s Walsh Jennings and Ross, faced off in the final game of pool play, with China earning the victory in two sets, 21-16 and 21-11. China’s only loss in pool play came from the Americans, and the Australians finished 0-3 in pool play and have been eliminated from medal contention.

Alison Cerutti of Brazil suffered a sprained ankle early in the first set, but returned to play after a medical timeout. It didn’t keep Cerutti and his partner, Bruno Schmidt, from defeating the Italian duo of Adrian Carambula Raurich and Alex Ranghieri in straight sets, 21-19 and 21-16. Brazil advances to the Round of 16.