Watch: American beach volleyball duo advances in Paris

Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes at the Paris Games Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: American beach volleyball duo advances to quarterfinals at Paris Olympics

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Aug 4, 2024 6:22 PM ET

American beach volleyball duo Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes survived their first test at the Paris Olympics.

On Sunday at Eiffel Tower Stadium, the Americans defeated Italians Valentina Gottardi and Marta Menegatti 2-1 (21-18, 17-21, 15-12), becoming the first team to advance to the quarterfinals of the event. Cheng and Hughes will face Switzerland's Nina Brunner and Tanja Huberli on Tuesday.

THAT WINNING FEELING!

WOW! Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes defeat Gottardi/Menegatti 21-18, 17-21, 15-12 to be the first team to advance to the quarterfinals.

How are you feeling, USA fans??#beachvolleyball #paris2024 #olympics pic.twitter.com/UYxVue4dhN
— USA Volleyball (@usavolleyball) August 4, 2024

Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng defeat Italy to ADVANCE to the quarterfinals!

NBC and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/AIYhWMsLM3
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 4, 2024

Menegatti and Gottardi pushed Cheng and Hughes throughout the match. At one point in the first set, they led 11-10. They also mounted a comeback attempt in the third set, cutting the deficit to 12-11 after trailing 5-1. Cheng and Hughes outscored the tandem 3-1 on the final four possessions to secure the victory.

The highly contested match could benefit the Americans and prepare them for better competition. Hughes and Cheng went 3-0 in pool play, winning each match in straight sets.

Cheng and Hughes — the 2023 world champions — were considered one of the gold-medal contenders entering the Olympics. According to the FIVB rankings, they're No. 4 in the world. If they keep winning close matches, Cheng and Hughes could find themselves on the podium at the end of the tournament.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: