Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and teammate April Ross are set to play two matches Wednesday as men's and women's main draw play begins in the $800,000 World Series of Beach Volleyball on Alamitos Beach in Long Beach.
Seven days after winning Olympic bronze medals, Walsh Jennings and Ross will face Canadians Melissa Humana-Paredes and Taylor Pischke at 9:50 a.m. and Brazilians Carol and Ana Patricia at 4 p.m. in pool play matches.
There will be two rounds of women's play and one round of men's play Wednesday. The men's and women's fields will both be reduced to 24 teams at the conclusion of Thursday's play.
Walsh Jennings and Ross, both of Southern California, are seeded first in the 32-team women's field from 15 nations. The Brazilians Larissa and Talita, who lost to Walsh Jennings and Ross in the bronze medal match, are seeded second.
American Olympians Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser are the top seeds in the men's draw. Dalhausser was a 2008 Olympic gold medalist.
The tournament will also include an electronic dance music concert Saturday and a celebrity match Sunday featuring actor Josh Hutcherson and retired NFL receiving star Terrell Owens.
