Klineman-Harward win first match at Beach Volleyball World Championships

Alix Klineman and Hailey Harward made a successful debut Saturday at the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Mexico.

Inside the bull ring in Tlaxcala, the Olympian Klineman, just four months from having a baby, and new partner Harward, seeded No. 38, knocked off 11th-seeded Germans Svenja Muller and Cinja Tillman 25-23, 21-14.

Klineman, playing for the first time since winning gold with April Ross at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and Harward teamed for the recent Paris Elite16 but made an early exit.

It was part of a good Saturday for the USA women’s contingent as second-seeded Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss, third-seeded Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, 15th-seeded Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles and 16th-seeded Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft all won their matches.

The USA men went 2-2 Saturday, which included Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner dealing a tough blow to compatriots Chase Budinger and Miles Evans. Andy Benesh and Miles Partain got a big victory, but Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk lost.

The 10-day event, being played in three nearby locations east of Mexico City, continues Sunday. Not every pair plays every day.

Klineman and Harward play their second match in Pool K against Brazil’s 14th-seeded Taina Silva and Victoria Lopes. 

In Pool B, Kloth and Nuss face 26th-seeded Lithuanians Monika Paulikiene and Aine Raupelyte.

Scoles and Flint continue in Pool J when they play Kianny Quesada and Angel Williams, the 39th seed from Costa Rica.

Third-seeded Benesh and Partain try to go 3-0 in Pool C when they play 22nd-seeded Araud Gathier-Rat and Yousseff Krou of France.

In Pool D, Crabb and Brunner, seeded No. 21, play fourth-seeded Brazilians George Wanderly and Andre Loyola, while 45th-seeded Evans and Budinger need to win when they play Popov and Reznik, the 28th seeds from Ukraine.

Schalk and Bourne, seeded 19th, play 43rd-seeded Noe Aravena and Vicente Droguett of Chile in Pool F.

Complete results and the schedule can be found at volleyballworld.com.

All matches of the Beach Volleyball World Championships will be streamed live, with replays available, at Volleyball World TV. Use “VOLLEYBALLMAG” for a discount.