GSTAAD, Switzerland, July 5, 2026. – The United States earned three medals at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Gstaad Elite, highlighted by Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher’s third consecutive women’s title, while Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft claimed silver in the all-American final and Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger secured silver in the men’s tournament.
Cruz and Brasher continued their dominance in Gstaad, winning the prestigious Elite event for the third straight year. The victory also marked their third gold medal in four Beach Pro Tour appearances this season, following titles in João Pessoa and Saquarema.
The American pair completed an unbeaten run of seven victories, dropping just one set during the tournament. They opened Championship Sunday with a 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) semifinal victory over fellow Americans Julia Donlin and Lexy Denaburg, as Brasher registered five blocks and Cruz led all scorers with 20 points.
The gold medal match featured an all-American showdown against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft. Cruz and Brasher prevailed 21-19, 21-15, with Brasher once again recording five blocks and a match-high 19 points, including the title-clinching score.
“That was just absolutely unreal! I think I am absolutely mind-blown right now,” Cruz said after the final. “This stadium is something very, very special. Gstaad really means so much to us every single year!”
Cheng and Kraft capped another strong tournament with the silver medal, their second Beach Pro Tour podium together after earning bronze in João Pessoa earlier this season. The pair advanced to the championship match with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-19) semifinal victory over the Netherlands’ Katja Stam and Raisa Schoon and dropped only one set before the final.
Donlin and Denaburg also turned in an impressive performance, reaching the semifinals before finishing fourth after falling to Stam and Schoon in the bronze medal match.
On the men’s side, Trevor Crabb and Chase Budinger completed a remarkable run from the qualification tournament to the final to earn the silver medal. The American duo won seven consecutive matches, including a 2-0 (21-19, 25-23) semifinal victory over Austria’s Philipp Waller and Moritz Pristauz.
In the championship match, Crabb and Budinger pushed the Netherlands’ Stefan Boermans and Alexander Brouwer to three sets before settling for silver, 26-28, 21-17, 15-11. The podium finish came in just their second Beach Pro Tour event together.
The Beach Pro Tour resumes with the Rio de Janeiro Elite in Brazil from July 29 to August 2.
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