Lausanne, Switzerland, February 16, 2017 – Ryan Doherty and John Mayer didn’t have the result they wanted to at the Kish Island 3-Star FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event, losing 2-0 (21-19, 21-16) to young Russians Maxim Sivolap and Igor Velichko in the Round of 32, but they remain realistic.
In a video report before the start of the tournament, former professional baseball player Doherty stated: “We flew for 16 hours and we might have one match if we don’t play well. It makes it very stressful but also very exciting.”
The 2.14m Doherty finished fourth in this year’s opening tournament at Fort Lauderdale last week in a one-off pairing with John Hyden. Doherty and Mayer were seeded 10th in Kish Island.
In the YouTube video, Mayer, who is also a volleyball coach, recounts how he pressured Doherty into teaming up with him: “I’d really wanted to play with him for a couple of years and just kept asking him.” This is their third year together.
The Kish Island tournament finishes on February 18.