Women's Beach Volleyball Final Will Be All-American Affair

By Eyder Peralta

Published August 7, 2012 at 5:12 PM CDT

Misty May-Treanor of the U.S. celebrates at the end of the women's beach volleyball semifinal with Kerri Walsh Jennings (in the background) against China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi. USA won 2-0.

The United States will have at least two shiny new medals no matter what happens tomorrow at the women's beach volleyball final.

After defeating China (2-0) and Brazil (2-1), today, the two American teams advanced to the finals, setting up an all-American match. It means the U.S. will receive a gold and silver.

ABC News reports:

"In a comeback thriller, Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy upset 2011 world champions Brazil after losing nine straight games to the pair, Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva.

"The Brazilian team was a gold-medal favorite in the 2008 Beijing Games, but just weeks before they were headed to China, an injury sidelined Silva, forcing Franca to play with a partner with whom she had not practiced with. ...

"The other American team, Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, today inched closer to their third-straight women's beach volleyball gold medal with a victory over China in the semifinal."

Reuters spoke to Walsh, who left no doubt that they will play hard against their compatriots.

"We have a goal that we really want to accomplish and we're planning on accomplishing it," Walsh told Reuters.