HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. — When you’re in search of a small slice of seaside volleyball comedy, you could find it on Volleyball TV or YouTube. Rewind to April 6, qualifier day of the Itapema Problem. Andy Benesh and Miles Partain — present world No. 3, Gstaad Elite16 gold medalists, winners of two straight AVPs, essentially the most profitable USA partnership since Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena teamed up in 2015 — had been matched in opposition to a Hungarian pair few exterior of Hungary or present gamers are more likely to have heard of.
Itapema can be a late begin for many groups however sooner than anticipated for Partain and Benesh. Partain left UCLA, the place he was the beginning setter, early to pursue an Olympic run in earnest. Their offense, heavy on jump-setting — a talent Benesh had by no means earlier than tried — and ball management — one thing that was Benesh’s frequent undoing in earlier years — had but to be examined. Their protection, with a heavy dose of angle blocks and late line strikes from Benesh, had but to be unveiled in competitors.
“We had a two-hour telephone name and we determined we had been going to dwell by the sword and die by the sword,” Benesh stated. “If it doesn’t work, we’re going to maintain failing till it really works.”
Artur Hajos and Bence Streli almost put that sword straight by means of the chest. A 21-11 first set win prolonged right into a 15-13 lead within the second.
These had been the People who had been presupposed to revive USA seaside volleyball? Those getting dealt with by Hungary? (in all equity, “these guys are actually good,” Benesh stated, whether or not or not you could have heard of them).
“I used to be so nervous for that match,” Benesh stated. “I actually couldn’t go a ball.”
Regardless of the passing struggles and the a number of elevate calls and the jump-sets that examined the nerves of each referees and followers and coaches alike, they survived. Partain gained an important joust on an overpass at 16-14 to maintain the deficit at one. Two straight errors gave them a 17-16 lead they usually’d shut out the set and the match, 21-19, 15-8.
It’s humorous to look again on that match, and the diverging paths of these groups since. Hajos and Streli have made only one fundamental draw, at a Futures in Spain. They’re the 79th ranked crew on the earth.
Benesh and Partain, in the meantime, have single-handedly revived USA seaside volleyball.
They’ve gained 29 matches and misplaced simply 10. The three medals they’ve gained — bronze in Ostrava, gold in Gstaad, silver in Montreal — have all are available in Elite16s. They’ve lopped off Poland’s Bartosz Losiak and Michal Bryl, Alex Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen (thrice), Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner, Evandro Goncalves and Arthur Mariano, Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri, George Wanderley and Andre Loyola. Twice in the identical event, they beat Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, changing into the primary American crew to carry two victories over Norway.
“We didn’t have lots of tournaments to fiddle,” Benesh stated. “We weren’t essentially in an important spot points-wise. We solely had two tournaments to mess with it. I knew Miles had my again if it went poorly.”
There are profitable partnerships, after which there’s the distinctive alchemy of Benesh and Partain. The previous is a 6-foot-9, 28-year-old with a booming, contagious giggle who briefly give up the game to attempt his hand at monetary advising. The latter is a 6-foot-4 defender with a quiet demeanor and a thoughts that’s perpetually tinkering and experimenting, to the purpose that it could drive their coach, Mike Placek, a bit batty.
“Even at some factors Mike was like ‘You guys are jump-setting 15 toes off the online!’ ” Benesh stated, laughing that contagious giggle. “However we needed to push the vary to seek out it.”
The mix of an open-minded coach, a associate with a bent to push limits, and the boldness to fail and fail and fail till one thing works is partly what has led to Benesh changing into arguably essentially the most improved participant on the earth. Whereas a lot is rightly product of Partain’s absurd vary with the choice assault, world-class jump-setting, and spectacular protection, it’s Benesh who has taken his recreation to a stage that he’s at the moment within the dialog as the perfect blocker not named Anders Mol.
He completed second in blocks in Itapema, first the next week in Saquarema, second in Ostrava, second in Gstaad, and tied for first with Mol in Montreal. Past the bodily capability to dam a ball, nonetheless, it’s Benesh’s cerebral nature that has led to groups hitting it squarely into his gigantic mitts. Whereas Partain is the brains behind their offense, it’s Benesh who was the visionary of their defensive system.
“I’m making an attempt some totally different stuff with timing and shapes and stuff. Loads of it’s Miles trusted me on the defensive imaginative and prescient and lots of it’s Miles behind me,” Benesh stated. “We collaborated. It’s lots based mostly off of Norway. I watched a lot movie on them. We attempt to mildew it in a method — they’re doing a little totally different stuff this season. Ours could be very choreographed. I do know precisely the place he’s standing behind me. Him having the ability to bait and change behind me has elevated my blocking lots.”

It didn’t come in a single day. Removed from it. A number of instances per week, relying on the competitors schedule, Benesh and Partain will make the two-plus hour trek to San Diego, the place Placek relies. The automobile rides will not be quiet or full of music or podcasts, reasonably with hours and hours of buying and selling concepts.
“We’ve had many debates, most likely 75 hours’ price of debating,” Benesh stated. “The quantity of exits Miles has missed from us speaking about volleyball — one time we drove north of L.A. and he was presupposed to drop me off in Torrance. We went 45 minutes too far.
“I simply had theories and I actually needed to attempt them out. It’s tough when you don’t have that belief together with your associate. One factor Miles modified rather well — he was tremendous uncomfortable standing on the road facet as a result of it’s really easy to hit a minimize shot, however I used to be like ‘Bro, we’ll simply run a 3 [the call for a late line block from the blocker]. You’re going to stroll right into a minimize shot and bounce it.’ For some motive, giving up that a lot court docket on a minimize shot is totally different than giving up a line shot 10 instances in a row. You want don’t consider the defender goes to face there.
“We mixed a few of my theories with a number of the stuff he was doing with Paul [Lotman in 2022]. I feel Miles is likely one of the greatest on the earth at baiting individuals into photographs he desires them to hit. His timing on his juke strikes is de facto good. We’ve made it so we have now 12-15 totally different calls. All of them play off one another. You possibly can see the identical look and we have now three variations of it — one the place he stays, one the place he goes, one the place he goes and comes again. Now we will get into the chess match of predicting, which is the place it will get actually enjoyable.”
Their success has, in flip, made it a world of enjoyable for American followers, who alas have an everyday medal contender in any excessive stage event during which they play. Their two fundamental opponents within the Paris Olympic race for the 2 USA spots — Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner and Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk — have only one medal between them, which got here in the one event both crew has pushed past the quarterfinals.

A part of that is because of the consistently evolving nature of Benesh and Partain, the youngest crew within the American system. On paper, groups have performed Benesh and Partain a number of instances; in actuality, every event during which they match up with the People it is going to be a brand new crew they should thwart, a brand new look to which they need to adapt.
Take, for instance, the four-hour movie session after a loss within the bronze-medal match within the Saquarema Problem to Austrians Julian Horl and Alex Horst. Of their subsequent event, the Ostrava Elite16, they emerged a totally new crew, with a unique protection.
“It’s not like he’s mad or I’m mad, we’re simply genuinely making an attempt to determine the perfect resolution. We added one other layer to our protection after that match which helped us skyrocket after,” Benesh stated. “He has conviction and genuinely desires to know the answer to the issue we’re fixing.”
Or the eye-opening second for Benesh after a slim escape in opposition to Estonia within the last spherical of the Ostrava qualifier, during which Benesh and Partain needed to fend off three straight match factors. He may have optioned, helped Partain get out of a uncommon sideout rut. As a substitute, he didn’t. Since? He’s as more likely to choice as Partain.
After Ostrava, and Benesh making that offensive adjustment, they’ve misplaced simply two matches on the Seaside Professional Tour.
“That’s one lesson I discovered, and fortunately we didn’t be taught it the arduous method. These blockers are too good. You possibly can’t simply depart your man on an island,” Benesh stated. “That was a giant studying second for me to not be frightened of the scenario and take the choice if it’s there, and Miles is clearly fairly cold-blooded with that.
“Including totally different layers, having the comfortability to step exterior of our consolation zone in match has been large. If we get actually, actually good at passing, it’s going to be good.”
As if it’s not good already.
Nonetheless, even along with his meteoric rise, from almost surprised by Hungary to a ubiquitous medal contender, Benesh is aware of he isn’t even near nudging up in opposition to his potential.
“Since I began taking part in seaside volleyball, I may by no means do what I considered,” he stated. “I feel my physique is lastly catching up. I feel I’m nonetheless a yr or two away from having the ability to do what I wish to do.”
