Volleyball Star Kerri Walsh Chooses Olympic Partner

SAN JOSE, CA -- Come Tokyo 2020, U.S. Olympic athlete Kerri Walsh-Jennings hopes partnering with AVP Defensive Player of the Year Brooke Sweat will serve up another gold medal to add to her collection of three with one bronze.

The duo plans to make a debut in the newly-cemented partnership for Walsh's the Las Vegas Open beach volleyball tourney scheduled Oct. 18-21 as part of her inaugural 1440 event series. The Santa Clara native who attended Stanford kicked off the professional volleyball invitational a few weeks ago in her hometown of San Jose where the Earthquakes soccer team play in Avaya Stadium.

"Brooke Sweat has been a consistent contender and a top defensive player in the world since she came on tour, and I cannot wait to take the court with her for the first time. We are extremely excited, dedicated and passionate about the adventure ahead. We have some lofty, golden goals we plan to realize," Walsh-Jennings said.

The Olympic star already laid out a few advantages in meetings teams from around the world.

For one thing, Sweat -- a Fort Myers, Fla. native who hails from Hermosa Beach - is known for her persistent blocking.

The two women's styles apparently complement one another, and they have "a fun, scrappy synergy on the court," Walsh-Jennings hinted in her signature, cutting-edge honesty. She had told Patch before her San Jose tourney she plans to "kick a--" in Tokyo, while overcoming the sting of having achieved bronze in Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games.

--Image via Sue Wood, Patch