2019-01-03 10:00:00 CET
With the new season, come new teams – and here are some you should keep an eye on
It happens every off-season. The trade deadline for beach volleyball comes and while some partnerships come to an end, others are born with a lot of excitement around them. It will be no different in 2019 as several moves have already been made and if you weren’t following, here are some of the duos you should start getting used to before the season starts.
Casey Patterson/Chase Budinger
There were some important moves among American men’s teams after the end of the 2018 season and one of them has put together Rio 2016 Olympian Casey Patterson, who split with Stafford Slick, and former NBA player Chase Budinger, who partnered with veteran Sean Rosenthal in his first season in the sands. Expect this to be a physical team, which will build its system upon a strong side-out game.
It's behind the scenes where the magic happens. The Hauge 4 Star event is a month away. #beachvolleyball #gymseason #preparation #weightroom #beachvolley #volleyball #liveunrivaled
817 Likes, 15 Comments - Casey Patterson (@caseypatt) on Instagram: "It's behind the scenes where the magic happens. The Hauge 4 Star event is a month away...."
Talita Antunes/Taiana Lima
This is actually a reunion, since the Brazilians have first played together between 2013 and 2014, when they claimed eight World Tour medals (five golds, two silvers and one bronze) in just 17 tournaments. The team was formed after Talita’s return to the sport following the birth of her first son, Renato, in June, and had a promising first step as the veterans finished fourth in a Brazilian Tour event in November.
Uma etapa de oportunidades e grandes desafios e com um resultado muito satisfatório! ☺️ . . Segue o trabalho e o mais importante nesse momento é valorizar as conquistas que nós sabemos bem quais são. . . . E vocês, curtiram o retorno desse time? Deixe seu comentário 😉 . . #beachvolleyball #exercitobrasileiro #cde #atletamilitar #frutabellamg #lojaUvLife #useuvlife #fabiolamolinastore #nadamaisbonito #jogamaisbonito #proteina #hartsnatural #bolsaatleta #voleidepraia #volleyball #ctbeachvoleyhighperfomance #treinamento #tokyo2020 #timebrasil #heathylife #olympics #volley#agradecer #sempre #dedicacao #foco #objetivo #opoderdoagora
1,530 Likes, 54 Comments - Taiana Lima (@tatalima8) on Instagram: "Uma etapa de oportunidades e grandes desafios e com um resultado muito satisfatório! ☺️ . . Segue o..."
Adrian Carambula/Enrico Rossi
Rio 2016 Olympian Adrian Carambula, or Mr. Skyball, was nowhere to be found during most of the 2018 season, but he’ll be back next season with a new partner. One of the craftiest defenders on Tour, the 30-year-old Italian will share the courts with 25-year-old blocker Enrico Rossi, who spent a good chunk of last year on a temporary partnership with Marco Caminati – the team won the one-star tournament in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands.
Chen Xue/Xinxin Wang
This is another reunion since the Chinese duo have played together for the first time in 2017, when they won the silver medal in the two-star event in Nantong, one of the six tournaments they played. Xue, a bronze medalist from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, took most of the 2018 season off to rehab her right shoulder and had some good finishes with Fan Wang after her return, while the 20-year-old Wang last partnered with Xinyi Xia.
Reid Priddy/Theo Brunner
Another outcome of the shakeup among the American teams was the reunion of Beijing 2008 volleyball Olympic champion Reid Priddy and Theo Brunner. The 41-year-old Priddy, who made the transition to the sand in 2017, is looking for another Olympic run and will try to do so with Brunner, one of the best blockers in the American pool. Last season Priddy shared the courts with Jeremy Casebeer while the 33-year-old Brunner last played with veteran John Hyden.
Injuries are no fun! I sprained my ankle last week so I'm using this week to put extra time into planning out 2019. (Silver lining found) Unfortunately I won't be able to compete this weekend. However, a lot more time and thought has been able to go into my new partnership with @lordbrunner and a plan of attack for the next 90 days!
370 Likes, 20 Comments - Reid Priddy (@reidpriddy) on Instagram: "Injuries are no fun! I sprained my ankle last week so I'm using this week to put extra time into..."