New American pairs get tested with 10 three-setters in Itapema Challenge

Of the eight American teams that began Friday in the main draw of the Itapema Challenge, six could be described as relatively new. Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint, as well as Savvy Simo and Toni Rodriguez, are competing in just their fifth event together. Miles Partain and Andy Benesh’s debut tournament of the year is their fourth as a pair. And Kelley Kolinske and Hailey Harward, Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk, and Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner are all playing in just their third.

So it stands to reason that they could all use a few extra reps. And goodness did they get them on Friday in Brazil. Of the 18 matches played by the eight American teams on Friday, 10 went the full three sets, seven falling in the favor of the U.S.

Bourne and Schalk prevailed in both of their three-setters on Friday, the only American team to win twice in three. They came back from first-set losses to both Austria and Australia, winning 15-13 and 15-7, respectively. The pair of wins earned them a date with Poland’s Piotr Kantor and Maciej Rudol on Saturday at 7 a.m. Pacific. Joining Bourne and Schalk in the undefeated category are Sponcil and Cannon, and Scoles and Flint, both of whom scored opening round three-set wins before sweeping their second round opponents.

Scoles and Flint, the two seed in the tournament, will play the Netherlands’ Emi Van Driel and Brecht Piersma at 5 a.m. At the same time, Sponcil and Cannon will match up with Andressa Cavalcanti and Vitoria De Souza of Brazil, and Kolinske and Harward will meet Finland’s Niina Ahtiainen and Taru Lahti.

Partain and Benesh, meanwhile, will continue playing a who’s-who of Brazilian beach volleyball. After knocking out 2016 Olympic gold medalist Alison Cerutti in the qualifier on Thursday, Partain and Benesh were swept by top-seeded George Wanderley and Andre Loyola, the back-to-back gold medalists in Itapema, in their second match on Friday. On Saturday at 7 a.m., Pacific, they’ll be tasked with fending off the serves of Evandro Goncalves and his new partner, Arthur Mariano.

Three American pairs were knocked out on Friday. Trevor Crabb and Brunner were swept by Australia and Austria, while Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander, after a valiant three-set win over Canadians Sam Schachter and Dan Dearing, were swept by Cuba in the lucky loser round. Shortly after, Simo and Rodriguez had a third-set comeback snuffed by Emma Piersma and Mexime van Driel, ending their Challenge run early.

Still:…