Gibb, Rosenthal Have Fun, Win Big

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
BJ.Evans@USAV.org

BEIJING (Aug. 12, 2008) – When Jake Gibb (Bountiful, Utah) and Sean Rosenthal (Redondo Beach, Calif.) are having fun, it’s time for other teams to watch out.

The German beach volleyball team of Julius Brink and Christoph Dieckmann, seeded sixth, found this out the hard way on Tuesday as it was soundly upset by the seventh-seeded Gibb and Rosenthal, 15-21, 13-21 in 39 minutes in an Olympic pool play match at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground.

Gibb and Rosenthal improved to 2-0 in Pool F and assured themselves a trip to the Round of 16, which begins Friday, Aug. 15. Gibb and Rosenthal will play their final Olympic pool play match on Thursday, Aug. 14, Japan’s 19th-seeded Kentaro Asahi and Katsuhiro Shirator (1-1).

“Jake and I are just out there having fun,” said Rosenthal, who had 13 kills, two aces and three digs. “We’re playing smooth and calm. I don’t really worry about the other side of the net.”

Gibb was credited with 11 kills, five blocks and one ace. Gibb and Rosenthal held Brink and Dieckmann to 20 kills, two blocks and no aces.

Gibb and Rosenthal also took advantage of 10 errors by the Germans while committing only six themselves.

“It was anything but easy,” Gibb said. “They are a great team. We are 50-50 with them. We’ve played two finals on the World Tour against them and they were both tough.”

With the score tied 3-3 in the first set, Dieckmann served into the net to put the U.S. team ahead by one. Gibb and Rosenthal each followed with a kill to extend the lead to 6-3.

Brink and Dieckmann came closest to challenging for the lead when they were trailing 6-9, but used two straight kills to pull to within one point at 9-8. A kill and a block by Gibb quieted the rally and the German’s never threatened again.

Gibb and Rosenthal jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set and never let the Germans back in the match, putting together strings of two and three points at a time. Rosenthal ended the match with a dramatic kill.

Men’s 2008 Olympic Pool F Schedule and Results

Aug. 10: Brink/Dieckmann GER [6] vs. Asahi/Shiratori JPN [19], 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) 00:42
Aug. 10: Gibb/Rosenthal USA [7] vs. Boersma E./Ronnes NED [18], 2-0 (21-16, 21-15) 0:37
Aug. 12 (10 p.m.) Gibb/Rosenthal [7] def. Brink/Dieckmann GER [6]. 2-0 (21-15, 21-13)
Aug. 12 (6 p.m.) Asahi/Shiratori JPN [19] def. Boersma E./Ronnes NED [18], 1-2 (15-21, 25-23, 11-15)
Aug. 14: (7 p.m.) Gibb/Rosenthal USA [7] vs. Asahi/Shiratori JPN [19]
Aug. 14: (8 p.m.) Brink/Dieckmann GER [6] vs. Boersma E./Ronnes NED [18]

Pool F Standings

Name Country Points Record

Gibb/Rosenthal USA 4 2-0
Brink/Dieckmann Ch. GER 3 1-1 
Asahi/Shiratori JPN 3 1-1
Boersma E./Ronnes NED  2 0-2