Beach Volleyball has become a more popular sport in America over the last decade for.. well… I guess obvious reasons. It doesn’t hurt that Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh are two time defending gold medalists. Can they win it one more time though, or has their prime passed?

The Team:

This year’s team is made up of eight athletes, four men and four women. All of the men are going to their second Olympics. Two of the women are first time Olympians while Walsh is a three time Olympian and May-Treanor is going to her fourth.

Links are to twitter accounts for the athletes.

USA Beach Volleyball
Men:
Jake Gibb*
Sean Rosenthal*
Phil Dalhausser*
Todd Rogers*

Women:
Misty May-Treanor***
Kerri Walsh**
Jen Kessy
April Ross
* – Was on team in 2008
** – Was on team in 2004 & 2008
*** – Was on team in 2000, 2004, and 2008

Schedule:

The tournament will begin with the teams divided into six four-team pools for round robin play. All the group winners and runner-ups will advance to the Round of 16. Two of the 3rd place finishers will get automatic spots for the Round of 16 while the other four will battle for the other two spots. After that it is a straight knockout tournament.

All Times ET
Saturday July 28th
4 AM – 3 PM – Men’s and Women’s Group Stage Matches

Sunday July 29th
4 AM – 3 PM – Men’s and Women’s Group Stage Matches

Monday July 30th
4 AM – 3 PM – Men’s and Women’s Group Stage Matches

Tuesday July 31st
4 AM – 3 PM – Men’s and Women’s Group Stage Matches

Wednesday August 1st
4 AM – 3 PM – Men’s and Women’s Group Stage Matches

Thursday August 2nd
4 AM – 3 PM – Men’s and Women’s Group Stage Matches

Friday August 3rd
4 AM – 4 PM – Men’s and Women’s Round of 16

Saturday August 4th
4 AM – 4 PM – Men’s and Women’s Round of 16

Sunday August 5th
1 PM – 5 PM – Women’s Quarterfinals

Monday August 6th
1 PM – 5 PM – Men’s Quarterfinals

Tuesday August 7th
12 PM – 4 PM – Men’s and Women’s Semifinals

Wednesday August 8th
1 PM – Women’s Bronze Medal Match
4 PM – Women’s Gold Medal Match

Thursday August 9th
1 PM – Men’s Bronze Medal Match
4 PM – Men’s Gold Medal Match

Past Results:

The US is home to the defending champions in both the Women’s and the Men’s event. The women’s title was of course won by May-Treanor and Walsh and the men’s title was won by Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers. Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal made it to the quarterfinals in 2008.

In 2004 May-Treanor and Walsh won again and the other US women’s team won the bronze. The top men’s team that year made it to the quarterfinals. Back in 2000 the men’s team of Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana won gold while Misty May’s team was the top women’s team for the US advancing to the quarterfinals.

So if the past is any indication the US should be a strong competitor for medals in both the women’s and the men’s tournament. It will be interesting to see if May Treanor and Walsh can win one last gold medal as they are now eight years removed from their first gold medal.