Top-seeded U.S. team reaches beach semis

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Defending champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States stormed into the semifinals of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament Sunday.

The other American women's team of Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, however, fell in their quarterfinal match to a twosome from China.

May-Treanor and Walsh won their 106th consecutive match, defeating the Brazilian team of Ana Paula Conelly and Larissa Franca 21-18, 21-15. The match lasted only 41 minutes.

The Americans have not lost a set in the tournament.

"Each team we face is just one step that we have to climb, but we are very focused on what we came here to do," May-Treanor said.

The Americans will meet another Brazilian duo in the semifinals -- Renata Ribeiro and Talita Rocha. They defeated Natalie Cook and Tasmin Barnet of Australia 24-22, 21-14.

Branagh and Youngs lost to Xue Chen and Zhang Xi 21-17, 21-13. Tian Jia and Wang Jie also won their quarterfinal match against an Austrian sister team, setting up an all-Chinese semifinal.