U.S. Olympics beach volleyball duo Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross lost to Brazilians Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas during the women's quarterfinals on Wednesday, ending Walsh Jennings' dream of a fourth gold medal.
“You’ve got to pass the ball to win matches,” Walsh Jennings said, taking responsibility for the loss, according to USA Today. "I don’t even know how many aces they got — four per game, maybe, on me? That’s unacceptable and inexcusable. I’ve been served aggressively this whole tournament, when people serve at me, and so has April. We’ve handled it in every other situation so it is really disappointing and heartbreaking to not do that tonight."
The Brazilians had five aces total, winning the quarterfinal with scores of 22-20 and 21-18 in straight sets.
The Associated Press reported that Ross rejected Walsh Jennings' attempt to take the blame, saying, "The roles have been reversed before; I could have done a lot more. We're a team."
Wednesday loss marked the first Olympic defeat on sand for 38-year-old Walsh Jennings, Time noted.
"To not go to the finals of an Olympic Games is absolutely devastating," she said.
Walsh Jennings and Ross will compete for bronze against Brazil’s other team. Germans Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst will face Bednarczuk and Seixas for the gold.
Many Twitter users commented about the upset.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.