Brad Keenan Replacing Matt Fuerbringer at Casey Jennings’ Side
The results were announced, and the Gstaad AVP Tour tournament, in Switzerland, is over; the Americans Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser have won the gold medal. While all the attention is centered on Rogers and Dalhausser, many other Americans were competing at the beach volleyball competition. This of course includes their less fortunate countrymen, Casey Jennings and Brad Keenan. Jeenings and Keenan were defeated by Russia’s Kolodinsky / Koshkarev 21-17, 21-15 in 42 minutes, early on, during the elimination matches.
While Jennings has a lot of experience in major competitions and should have been able to overcome his opponent, his partner Keenan, however, was a new addition.
Keenan was Jennings' man of choice after he needed a new partner, and the partnership culminates a long road for Keenan.
Keen and green
Keenan started his professional career quite recently as well, in 2006. The American was unfortunately forced to spend his time out of college away from volleyball, due to a serious shoulder injury. Once healed, however, Keenan took the first opportunity he had to return to the sport he always was obsessed with.
He began his career with John Mayer, a prior teammate in college, and they qualified for their first five tournaments. They then performed brilliantly at Hermosa Beach, leaving their mark in the history of volleyball. They had managed to win three qualifiers matches and to finish third—the highest AVP finish by a qualifier. Keenan won at the end of the season the title of AVP rookie of the year. He also ranked third in aces this year, and eight in blocks per game.
For the last three beach seasons, between the years 2007 and 2009, Keenan was ranked in the AVP’s top 12 volleyball players. He also has reached at least one semi-final each year since he has started playing professionally. Mostly due to Keenan's inevitable bad luck, the American has had to face the top-seeded team in all of his five championship matches. He has however been changing partners every year, always seeking for better results.
Keenan joined with John Hyden in 2007, another American, and reached with him the semi-finals during their first competition together. The following year, Hyden and Keenan competed in eight semi-finals, which included three championship matches. During those three finals, Keenan was unlucky enough to face Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, losing every time. Keenan individually ranked FIVB No. 5 that year.
Then, Keenan changed partners, and teamed up with Nick Lucena. This partnership began in 2009, and they have participated next in 13 AVP events, reaching the semi-finals six times. Keenan’s talented game play was noticed: he was ranked second in aces per game, and fifth in blocks. The duo was able to manage a 17th ranking in the World Championships in Stavanger. During the same year, Keenan entered three Hot Winter Night events, and won his final tournament in Cleveland.
After Jennings’ come back from a foot injury in 2009, the American started to search for a new partner to replace Matt Fuerbringer. Jennings then noticed Keenan, and decided to team up with him, putting aside a total of 41 domestic and international events played with Fuerbringer, a tradition in the making. The two made it to the FIVB semi-finals in the Moscow Grand Slam—an unprecedented achievement for Keenan.
While Jennings has finished 9th with his new partner Keenan, Matt Fuerbringer ranked fifth with Nick Lucena. Keenan might have to find another partner if Jennings changes his mind about replacing Fuerbringer with him. This will however not be decided with a Fuerbringer/Lucena and Keenan/ Jennings confrontation during the next AVP tour event that will take place in Marseille, France next Tuesday, since Fuerbringer will not be participating.
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