Toronto, Canada, September 14, 2016 - In the rubber match between the two teams, Americans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena posted a 2-1 (16-21, 21-16, 15-9) win in 50 minutes over Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter of Canada in a Pool C match at the SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals here Wednesday.
The two teams had split their previous two FIVB World Tour matches with the Canadians posting a semi-final win over Dalhausser and Lucena at May's Cincinnati Open in the United States. Late last month in southern California, the Americans gained revenge with a Round of 16 victory at the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball in Long Beach.
Phil Dalhausser - “We had a slow start, kind of lackadaisical. We couldn’t get any energy going. We did get it going in the second set when Nick dug a couple of key balls, and in the third the same thing. For us it is not a goal just to qualify for the World Tour Finals, our goal is to win so hopefully we can do that.”
Josh Binstock - “Having friends and family gave the match a fun vibe. When we got tired, we looked up at our loved ones and it gave us an extra push.”
Fans: “We are hockey fans at heart. They don’t really understand beach volleyball etiquette.”
Sam Schachter - On USA: “They really weren’t themselves in the first set. They found their tempo after that.”
“It’s always nice playing at home. We don’t get to do it very often, but it’s always fantastic competing in front of your home fans.”
Nick Lucena - “Every match in this tournament is touch. It’s the top 12 teams in the world.”
On Canada “They are a great team. They beat us in Cincinnati, so we one we had to play our best to defeat them.”
Phil Dalhausser - “We had a really, really slow start. We had opportunities, but we blew it. We played better in the second and third sets.”
On 2015 World Tour Finals: “We got smashed by Alison and Bruno. We want a rematch, but we have a long ways to go."