May/Walsh earn silver in Norway

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

Misty May and Kerri Walsh of the USA earned a silver medal on Saturday at the FIVB Norway Open, after falling to Brazil's Ana Paula Connelly and Sandra Pires Tavares in the championship match 21-19, 21-15.

It was the Brazilian's third gold medal of the 2003 SWATCH-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour season.

The Brazilians have now won three of the four World Tour events this season and their victory in front of a packed stadium in Stavanger's ancient port allowed them to further extend their lead at the top of the 2003 rankings.

Third place went to Adriana Brandao Behar and Shelda Kelly Behar, the Brazilian pair securing their third bronze medal of the season with a 21-13, 21-17 victory over American defending champions Holly McPeak and Elaine Young.

Despite being behind in both the sets, Ana Paula and Sandra Pires always seemed more in control of their game in the difficult swirling wind, and a series of three aces from Ana Paula in the second appeared to drain the confidence from their American opponents.

"People may think that because we won the second set 21-15 that it was easy, but it was much closer than it looked," said Ana Paula. "We were behind at first and changed our tactics - we were aware we had to change, which I think showed good teamwork, which we did not have at the start of the year.

"We got a lot of help from our coach Marcos Marcello -- he did the thinking for us and created a perfect strategy. I think we also used the wind better than the Americans today and perhaps our serving was the difference between the two teams."

The Brazilians, who only got together two days before the first event of the season in Rhodes, remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and the fact they dropped just one set during the week -- in their very first game -- further proves their current dominance of the women's beach game.

"We had been trying to get together since 2000," added Sandra Pires. "But we had contracts with other players and sponsors which we had to see through. It was our idea to get together because we think we make a good team."

For Adriana and Shelda, four-times losers in the semifinals this season, it is now a matter of returning to Brazil and focusing on how to make the necessary adjustments that will give them a greater chance of reaching the gold medal decider.

"The bronze medal seems to attract us - but at least third is better than fourth," said Adriana, World Tour champion for five years running from 1997 to 2001. "We are a small team so maybe we have to add more variety to our game, and use some surprise tactics -- and our setting has to improve.

"Maybe we put too much pressure on ourselves in the semis because we always come back strong and win the bronze medal."

In addition to their three bronze medals this season, Adriana and Shelda also have a silver medal from Rhodes, where they lost in the final to Ana Paula and Sandra Pires.

The women's SWATCH-FIVB World Tour takes a week's break before moving on to France for the Marseilles Grand Slam.

For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.