Jake Gibb, Tri Bourne Fall To Qatar In Beach Volleyball

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Jake Gibb and Tri Bourne of Team USA lost their beach volleyball match against Qatar.

After Gibb and Bourne opened the match with a 4-1 lead, Qatar made a small run, cutting the deficit to 7-5. Qatar tied the match at 10 following a small run. Their lead reached 15-13 before a powerful spike by Gibb put them within one point. Qatar went on to win the first set 21-18. That was the first set that Gibb and Bourne have lost in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The United States started the second set with a 7-6 lead. Qatar ended up with the second set win 21-17 and remained undefeated while handing the United States their first loss of the Olympics.

The @KSL5TV crew is at beach volleyball cheering on Bountiful’s Jake Gibb. My colleague @KSLSharaPark will interview him after his match. It’s sad to see how empty the stadium is because of COVID restrictions. It just doesn’t feel right. @kslsports pic.twitter.com/5kngGaoe5s

— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) July 30, 2021

The U.S. men fell to Qataris Cherif Samba and Ahmed Tijan on Friday night 21-18, 21-17. The Qataris (3-0) finished first in the pool and moved on to the knockout round. But Gibb and Bourne (2-1) had already clinched a spot in the Round of 16.

It was the first loss for the Americans since they were thrown together on the eve of the Olympics when Gibb’s usual partner, Taylor Crabb, tested positive for COVID-19. Gibb and Bourne had never played together before taking the sand in Japan.

Alright Utah, send your winning vibes to Tokyo RIGHT NOW, Utah’s Jake Gibb and partner Tri Bourne are taking the sand against Qatar, one of the best teams in the world! #GoGibb #USA #Olympics #beachvolleyball @KSL5TV @kslsports @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/7eNl8zQZpZ

— Shara Park (@KSLSharaPark) July 30, 2021