JOSE CUERVO PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL SERIES
Unique bond
Jennings-Salgado, Ross-Kessy win big in Hermosa Beach
by Jon Hastings Photos by Don Liebig
asey Jennings and Pedro Salgado were headed for the stadium court for the championship match of the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Series Hermosa Beach Open when Mike Dodd stopped them in their tracks with a fi nal word of advice: “Just have some fun and let it happen.”
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Fun has been a specialty for the 36-year- old Jennings, who initiated the unlikely union of a rising Brazilian star, a coach of the Ital- ian beach national team willing to do some moonlighting and a veteran who has ridden the emotional roller coaster of being a beach volleyball professional in turbulent times. Jennings has always been charismatic and
fi ery, but he was a visionary for the season- ending major in Hermosa co-produced by USA Volleyball and IMG. Jennings spent most of the season competing on the FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch World Tour with Kevin Wong, traveling the world with his wife (Kerri Walsh) and two young sons. One of his best friends on that tour just happened to be a 25-year-old Brazilian he calls the “Black Dragon” for dark arms long enough to put a bear hug around Central America.
“I’ve always wanted to play with Pedro,” Jennings said of the 6-5 Brazilian. “There were some exhibition possibilities, but I wanted to play in a real tournament.” Jennings got the go-ahead from Dave Wil-
USA MEETS BRAZIL: Casey Jennings and Brazil’s Pedro Salgado made their unique partnership memorable.
36 | VOLLEYBALLUSA
liams, USA Volleyball managing director of beach programs, to bring Salgado over to add a little Latin fl are to the tournament. The pair was seeded fourth. “That’s why I asked MD (Dodd) to coach us, also just to have another great piece of aura next to us on that court and just say ‘Let’s put all of it into the cake,’” Jennings said. “Let’s make a big cake. I call at the last minute, me and Pedro are playing together — it’s beautiful.” Ironically, Jennings and Salgado had some magic chemistry despite playing together for the fi rst time. They defeated the tournament’s top-seeded Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb
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