London 2012: 4 Things Preakness Beach Volleyball Results Tell Us About Olympics

There has been a gaping void in the U.S. with the sport of beach volleyball. After the AVP struggled financially and shut down in 2010, there has been a scarcity of professional beach volleyball matches on American soil. The new National Volleyball League is attempting to fill that void, and they took to the Preakness Stakes this weekend for the Baltimore Open.

With the Olympics right around the corner, this was one of the very few opportunities for Americans to view and support their competitors 

The new kids on the block, Jen Kessy and April Ross, took home the women's championship on Saturday. On the men's side it was Ryan Doherty and Casey Patterson who finished in first place.

However, the real story of the event had little to do with the Preakness itself. Instead, the event was important as it gives us some insight into what to expect from the upcoming London Olympics. 

Jennifer Kessy and April Ross Are for Real

One thing that the Baltimore Open at the Preakness Stakes showed us is that the team of April Ross and Jennifer Kessy is not a flash in the pan. 

Kessy and Ross steamrolled the competition all weekend, not losing a single set in any of their five matches. Particularly impressive was their 21-13, 21-16 win over No. 2 seed Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik in the finals.

There have been mumblings about the inconsistency of Ross and Kessy, however, they are cruising right now and look good heading into this summer's Olympics. 

Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers Are Not Invincible

In 2008, the team of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers won their way into America's hearts with a gold medal run at the Beijing Olympics. 

The duo will be back at it in London this summer and would figure to be contenders for the gold once again. What we learned at the Preakness Stakes competition is that they are still fallible. 

After losing just one set in four matches on their way to the finals, they lost in three sets to the No. 10 seed Ryan Doherty and Casey Patterson. While not super alarming, it is worth noting that the team also registered a 17th place finish at the Beijing Grand Slam last week.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Will Be Rested

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will return to the Summer Olympics and will be gunning for their third straight gold medal in London.

After participating in the FIVB Beijing Grand Slam last week, the team took the Baltimore Open off this past weekend. Though this deprived Americans of the opportunity to watch the greatest duo in the sport's history, this rest will be valuable for the veteran team.

Who Gets the Second Slot for the American Men?

While the two female duos competing in London for America are set in stone, the second slot in the men's competition remains open. 

Right now the competitors for that openings are the teams of Nick Lucena and Matt Fuerbringer and Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb. Unfortunately for fans, neither team competed at this weekend's Open, so the decision will remain up in the air for the time being.

Despite their thrilling win over the No. 1 seed, Ryan Doherty and Casey Patterson are far too inexperienced a team to take the bid. No. 2 seed Brad Keenan and John Mayer, who finished third, would be the best dark horse candidate to represent the United States in London. 

Rosenthal and Gibb stand just 200 points ahead of Lucena and Fuerbringer in the national standings and therefore have the inside track to the second bid.