Brad Torsone (left) and David Fischer (right)

The sixth-seeded Fischer and Torsone was the only tandem from the United States in action on the final day of Pan American beach volleyball competition. Fifth-seeded Michelle Morse (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Liz Pagano (San Diego, Calif.) placed fifth after being eliminated Friday by third-seeded Nancy Gougeon and Wanda Guenette of Canada 21-14 and 21-17 in the women's quarterfinals.

"We expected to do better Saturday," said Fischer (Venice, Calif.) after he and Brad Torsone (Redondo Beach, Calif.) dropped their second match of the day by losing 21-17 and 21-14 in 43 minutes to third-seeded Ramon Hernandez and Raul Papaleo of Puerto Rico in the men's Bronze Medal match.

Fischer and Torsone were forced into the Bronze Medal match after dropping a 21-14 and 24-22 match to top-seeded Francisco Alvarez and Juan Rosell of Cuba in a 50-minute semifinal match Saturday afternoon. Hernandez and Papaleo, who defeated Fischer and Torsone in pool play Tuesday 21-10 and 21-12, were also defeated in the semifinals 21-16, 16-21 and 15-11 by second-seeded Paulo Emilio Silva and Luizao De Jesus in the longest match of the 2003 Pan Am Games (67 minutes).

Liz Pagano (left) and Michelle Morse (right)

Despite the two setbacks Saturday, Fischer and Torsone have posted their best career finishes on the beach. Torsone's best previous placement was a seventh with Peter Goers at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. Fischer's best finishers were ninths with Torsone last season in Belmar, N. J., and earlier this season in Tempe, Ariz. Fischer and Torsone are competing in their ninth event together.

As expected, Cuba claimed both Pan American beach volleyball Gold Medals. Alvarez and Rosell defeated Paulo Emílio and Luizao 23-25, 21-11 and 15-12 for the men's title after top-seeded Dalixia Fernandez Grasset and Tamara Larrea Peraza of Cuba Mayra Garcia and Hilda Gaxiola of Mexico, 21-16 and 21-15 for the women's Gold Medal.

Fourth-seeded Larissa Franca and Ana Richa Medeiros of Brazil defeated Gougeon and Guenette 21-6 and 21-9 for the women's Bronze Medal. In the women's semifinals, Cuba defeated Canada 21-15 and 21-17 while Mexico outlasted Brazil 21-17 and 21-18.

MEDIA SERVICES - Tim Simmons (e-mail bfishinc@aol.com) is the beach Media Services Officer for USA Volleyball. Simmons is on-site for the 2003 Pan Am Games at the Ovalo de la Feria Ganadera. He can be reached at the Main Press Center (809/792-0429) or by local cell telephone (809/374-9113). Simmons is headquartered at the Barcelo Gran Hotel Lina in Santo Domingo (809/563-5000). The USA Volleyball national office is located in Colorado Springs, Colo. (715 S. Circle Dr., 80910; 719/228-6800; FAX 719/228-6899).

United States Results

Men - David Fischer/Brad Torsone, 3-3 match record, fourth-place finish
Monday defeated Hugo Andres Gaona Gamarra/Ramon Martinez Gaona, Paraguay, 21-11 and 21-15.
Tuesday lost to Ramon Hernandez/Raul Papaleo, Puerto Rico, 21-10 and 21-11.
Thursday defeated Sean Morrison/Nolan Tash, Trinidad and Tobago, 21-12 and 21-7.
Friday defeated Djordje Ljubicic/Mike Slean, Canada, 21-17 and 21-17
Saturday lost to Francisco Alvarez/Juan Rosell, Cuba, 21-14 and 24-22
Saturday lost to Hernandez/Papaleo, Puerto Rico, 21-17 and 21-14

Women - Michelle Morse/Liz Pagano, 2-2 match record, fifth-place finish
Monday lost to Larissa Franca/Ana Richa, Brazil, 15-21, 21-16 and 15-9.
Wednesday defeated Laura Fernanda Herrera/Alejandra Porteiro, Uruguay, 21-14 and 21-18.
Friday defeated Claudia Augeni Pavisic/Maria Antoniet Villarroel, Bolivia, 21-11 and 21-8
Friday lost to Nancy Gougeon/Wanda Guenette, Canada, 21-14 and 21-17

Men's Final Rankings
Men's Complete Match Results
Men's Final Pool Standings
Men's Elimination Bracket
Women's Final Rankings
Women's Complete Match Results
Women's Final Pool Standings
Women's Elimination Bracket

XIV Pan American Games Final Four
August 2-9, 2003 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Men (seed)
1. Francisco Alvarez/Juan Rosell, Cuba (1)
2. Paulo Emílio Silva/ Luizao De Jesus, Brazil (2)
3. Ramon Hernandez/Raul Papaleo, Puerto Rico (3)
4. David Fischer/Brad Torsone, United States (6)
·Gold Medal Match - Alvarez/Rosell, Cuba (1) def. Paulo Emílio/Luizao, Brazil (2), 23-25, 21-11 and 15-12 (62 minutes)
·Bronze Medal Match - R. Hernandez/Papaleo, Puerto Rico (3) def. Fischer/Torsone, United States (6), 21-17 and 21-14 (43)

Women (seed)
1. Dalixia Fernandez Grasset/Tamara Larrea Peraza, Cuba (1)
2. Mayra Garcia/Hilda Gaxiola, Mexico (2)
3. Larissa Franca/Ana Richa Medeiros, Brazil (4)
4. Nancy Gougeon/Wanda Guenette, Canada (3)
·Gold Medal Match - Fernandez Grasset/Larrea Peraza, Cuba (1) def. Garcia/Gaxiola, Mexico (2), 21-16 and 21-15 (40 minutes)
·Bronze Medal Match - Larissa/Ana Richa, Brazil (4) def. Gougeon/Guenette, Canada (3), 21-6 and 21-9 (32)

XIII Pan American Games Final Four
July 29 - August 4, 1999 at Winnipeg, Canada

Men (seed)
1. Jody Holden/Conrad Leinemann, Canada (2)
2. Lula Barbosa/Adriano Garrido, Brazil (4)
3. Roberto Lopes/Franco Neto, Brazil (1)
4. Ihosvany Chambers/Lazaro Milian Carvajal, Cuba (5)
·Gold Medal Match - Holden/Leinemann, Canada (2) def. Lula/Adriano, Brazil (4), 12-8, 11-12 and 13-11 (98 minutes)
·Bronze Medal Match - Roberto Lopes/Franco, Brazil (1) def. Chambers/Milian Carvajal, Cuba (5), 12-5 and 12-9 (80).

Women (seed)
1. Shelda Bede/Adriana Behar, Brazil (1)
2. Marsha Miller/Jen Pavley, United States (12)
3. Laura Almaral/Mayra Huerta, Mexico (3)
4. Barb Broen Ouellette/Christine Lussier, Canada (4)
·Gold Medal Match - Behar/Bede, Brazil (1), def. Miller/Pavley, United States (12), 12-5 and 12-0 (50 minutes)
·Bronze Medal Match - Almaral/Huerta, Mexico (3) def. Broen Ouellette/Lussier, Canada (4), 12-6, 7-12 and 12-8 (70)

Pan American Games Beach Volleyball Medals

Men	Gold	Silver	Bronze	4th
Cuba	1	0	0	1
Canada	1	0	0	0
Brazil	0	2	1	0
Puerto Rico	0	0	1	0
United States	0	0	0	1
Women	Gold	Silver	Bronze	4th
Brazil	1	0	1	0
Cuba	1	0	0	0
Mexico	0	1	1	0
United States	0	1	0	0
Canada	0	0	0	2

~Tim Simmons