May-Treanor gets closer to another gold medal

BEIJING — Newport Harbor High product Misty May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh, are two wins away from defending their Olympic gold medal in women’s beach volleyball.

The No. 2-seeded duo, which has now won 106 straight matches and has not lost a game in the last two Olympic Games, defeated Brazilians Ana Paula Connelly and Larissa Franca, 21-18, 21-15, in a quarterfinal this morning in China.

Brazil, the No. 3 seed, came together just days before the Olympics as Connelly stepped in for Juliana Silva, who had to withdraw because of an injury.

May-Treanor and Walsh, who earned the victory in 41 minutes, will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Brazil’s No. 2 team of Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro and Australia’s Natalie Cook and Tamsin Barnett.

— From staff reports