Portia Sherman Wins Beach Volleyball Gold at Junior Pan Am Games | Sports

Santa Barbara’s Portia Sherman and her USA Beach Volleyball partner Emma Donley won the gold medal at the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay on Friday.

Sherman/Donley defeated Venezuela’s Lopez/Rodriguez in the final in straight sets, 21-16, 21-10. Sherman is an alumnus of Dos Pueblos High. The 6-foot-4 Donley is from Los Altos.

It’s the second international gold medal for the beach partners at Cal. Earlier in the summer, they won the U23 NORCECA Continental Tour in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.

USA Volleyball’s men’s team of Gage Basey/Thomas Hurst also won gold at the Junior Pan Ams. They prevailed in a three-set match over Brazil’s Isac/Jonathan, 21-11, 16-21, 15-7, for the title.

Sherman/Donley won six matches in the tournament without a defeat. The beat teams from Argentina, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Cuba, Canada and Venezuela.

It’s been an incredible year for Sherman/Donley. In the college season, they went 28-7 as the No. 1 team for Cal and became the first Bears in program history to be named AVCA First Team All-Americans. Their 28 wins were the most in a single season at Cal and both athletes reached the career milestone of 50 wins.