RIO DE JANEIRO -- Men and women in skimpy swimsuits frolicked in the surf, sprawled out on towels or kicked around a soccer ball at Copacabana Beach. Others cooled themselves under an umbrella at one of the many open-air kiosks serving food, beer and the local sugar cane cocktail, caipirinha.Inside the Olympic beach volleyball venue, the atmosphere was only slightly less festive.With a DJ spinning a samba beat and thousands cheering on their hometown teams, the Olympics sexiest sport returned to its spiritual home on Saturday for an opening session that brought out the best the beach has to offer.Defending champion Kerri Walsh Jennings and her new partner, April Ross, easily won their opening match with a 21-14, 21-13 victory over Australia that began at 12:34 a.m. and took just 35 minutes. Fellow Americans Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb also won their opener, beating Qatar 21-16, 21-16 on a day U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited the venue (as did Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi).Fans sang, waved their flags and cheered on their teams for the four matches on a sun-baked morning at the temporary stadium erected on this citys signature strip of sand. (Two more were to follow in the afternoon and evening.) Players kicked up sand as they dived for the ball, celebrated points with hugs and high-fives, and invariably saluted the crowd when walking off at after their matches.I love South American fans, and I love how the people love sports, said Argentinas Georgiana Klug, who lost her opener with Ana Gallay, falling to Spain in straight sets. All the singing, dancing -- it makes me feel like home.Beach volleyball joined the Olympic program at Atlanta in 1996, but for most Summer Games the venue has been built in a park (or parking lot), with thousands of tons of sand trucked in to create the playing surface. For the first time since Sydney in 2000, the sport is returning to an actual beach.And theres none more fitting.With the party ready to start both in and outside the arena, Italian Adrian Carambula got things started with his trademark Skyball, a high and spinning serve that wanders into the path of the sunshine and wind and confounds attempts at a return. Although he typically uses it sparingly, Carambula said he was egged on by his friends to start things off with a little flair.They said they wouldnt talk to me if I didnt, he said in a post-match interview that was twice interrupted because the prime minister asked him to come over and pose for a picture.My legs were shaking before the first serve, said Carambula, who with Alex Ranghieri beat Clemens Doppler and Alexander Horst 21-14, 21-13. When I walked in I actually got a little bit emotional. I wasnt expecting it, but I embraced it and I played with it. So very special.The biggest crowd -- and the most vocal support -- was for Brazils reigning world champions Alison and Bruno, who beat Canada in a straight-set but razor-thin 21-19, 22-20 victory. In the morning sessions other match, Austria beat Costa Rica in straight sets.In the afternoon, Brazils Agatha and Barbara needed three sets to get past the Czech Republic; the Dutch men beat Russia in straight sets and the women did the same to Venezuela.In the early part of the night session, the Spanish men beat Austria and Poland beat Germany. China held off Switzerland in a match that had to resume after a challenge on match point was reversed.---Jimmy Golen has covered Olympic beach volleyball since 2008. Follow him at http://www.twitter.com/jgolen Discount Adidas NHL Jerseys .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys Authentic . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. http://www.nhljerseys.us/ . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Adidas NHL Jerseys From China . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Adidas NHL Jerseys Outlet . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. FORT WORTH, Texas -- Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma took advantage of their fresh start in Big 12 play, even with a far-from-perfect effort.Mayfield made up for two lost fumbles with four touchdowns, running for two and throwing two long ones to Dede Westbrook, and the Sooners held on to win their conference opener, 52-46 at 21st-ranked TCU on Saturday.To come into a road environment like that and battle back, and kind of take over the game, just completely take momentum, its good to see, Mayfield said. The biggest thing is not stalling out in the second half.After giving up 21 points in the first quarter for the first time in 20 years, the Sooners (2-2) went ahead to stay with 28 consecutive points in the second quarter.This team has fight and character, and we need to again do some fundamental things better, coach Bob Stoops said. But I believe as we go through, well keep getting better from it.Westbrook was wide open on a flea flicker for a 67-yarder that put Oklahoma up 28-21, and Mayfield then hit in him stride again for a 40-yard score.Thats Baker for you, said Westbrook, smiling.The Sooners outscored TCU 42-3 over the second and third quarters to build a 25-point lead before the Frogs (3-2, 1-1) scored on three consecutive drives in the fourth quarter -- including TD passes of 64 and 74 yards from Kenny Hill to Taj Williams.Well, I like the way we fought back. What I wasnt happy with was we did it when they let down, TCU coach Gary Patterson said. Offensively after 21 points, we didnt play for two quarters.Mayfield was facing TCU for the first time since saying before the Orange Bowl last year that TCU was the team that disappointed him the most in recruiting, and claiming the Horned Frogs kind of drug it out without offering a scholarship while he turned down other offers.Patterson and Mayfield both insisted this week all that was in the past, with Mayfield even saying things were blown out of proportion. But when they were the same field, the Oklahoma junior quarterback was 23-of-30 passing for 274 yards, and ran 12 times for 55 yards.When asked what the game meant to him personally, Mayfield responded that it was huge to start conference play with a win.Everybody was saying our season was over, but to start the conference off 1-0 against one of the better teams in the conference, especially on the roaad, its going to be a confidence booster for us, he said.dddddddddddd Personally, just moving forward, its great to see the offense have some success and realize our full potential.TAKEAWAYSOklahoma: While the Sooners chances of a return to the College Football Playoff most likely ended after those two September losses (to No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Houston), theyre off to a good start in pursuit of a 10th Big 12 title. Oklahoma hasnt lost consecutive regular-season games since 1999, in Stoops first season.TCU: Those defensive woes for the Frogs clearly arent settled. While not allowing a touchdown against SMU a week ago, Pattersons squad allowed more than 40 points for the third time this season.RUNNING SOONERSThe Sooners had a 49-24 lead after Samaje Perines second TD run, a 1-yarder late in the third quarter. Perine, who finished with 98 yards on 17 carries yards, had an 8-yard TD in the second quarter when he reached the ball over the goal line while on top of TCU linebacker Sammy Douglas and 340-pound left tackle Orlando Brown. Joe Mixon had 16 carries for 105 yards, and also caught five passes for 70 yards.BIG-PLAY FROGSKenny Hill completed 26 of 44 passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns for TCU, including scoring strikes of 64 and 74 yards to Taj Williams in the fourth quarter, the later ending a stretch of 22 consecutive points for the Frogs that got them to 49-46. Williams finished with five catches for 210 yards.POLL IMPLICATIONSOklahoma: The Sooners have already been ranked as a two-loss team, so theres a good chance they get back in the poll this week after the impressive comeback. They were second in others receiving votes a week ago, having fallen out after an open date.TCU: Already in and out of the Top 25 in the first month of the season, the Frogs could fall out again after climbing back in last week.UP NEXTOklahoma: Coach Bob Stoops team will be about 40 miles east in Dallas next Saturday for the annual Red River rivalry game against Texas at the State Fair of Texas.TCU: The Horned Frogs head to Kansas next weekend, the first of consecutive road games before an open date. 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