The third annual Wedbush Hermosa Beach Open kicked off Thursday as dozens of teams battled through qualifying rounds for a spot in the 32-team main draw.
Under ideal South Bay conditions, eight women’s teams and eight men’s teams secured bids into the tournament, setting the stage for an exciting weekend of competition on the sands of Hermosa Beach.
Women’s Qualifying Highlights
Top-seeded Macy Jerger and Tory Paranagua advanced to the main draw, while Ellie Davis and Chloe Hoffman survived one of the day’s most dramatic matches, edging Megan Gebhard and Katie Lindstrom 15-13 in the deciding set.
The twin sister duo of Addison and Avery Junk also battled through a three-set match to earn a spot in the main draw, while second-seeded Paloma Bowman and Natalie Myszkowski escaped a thriller with a 16-14 victory in the deciding set of their final qualifying match.
Other women’s teams advancing included Amber and Lauren Stivrins, Belen Castillo and Anaya Evans, Kiara Vitoria Ernesto Jeronimo and Ana Beatriz Sanches Francelino, and Adelina Okazaki and Quinn Perry.
Men’s Qualifying Highlights
#16 seed Cole Aidnik and Kyle Baily knocked off top-seeded Pedro Joaquim Brandão Ribeiro and Lucas Sotelle Silva on their way to the main draw.
William Rivera and Diego Rosich also impressed with a three-match run that included a comeback victory over #7 seed Riley Owen and Quin Zilch after dropping the opening set.
Several teams advanced without dropping a set, including Tomer Hadar and Artúr Hajós, Marcus Carvalhaes and João Pedro Mares, Robert Kemp and Rouzbeh Rahnavard, Dexter Campbell and Skyler Kaufman, and Rowdy Lennon and Logan Mister.
Patrick Buckel and Chris Shaffer rounded out the men’s qualifiers after rallying from a first-set loss in their final match.
Looking Ahead
With qualifying complete, main draw action begins Friday, September 11, as many of the sport’s top professional beach volleyball athletes take the sand in Hermosa Beach. Competition continues throughout the weekend, culminating with championship matches on Sunday.
Watch the live stream here.