American top seeds Kerri Walsh Jennings (pictured) and April Ross finished undefeated in pool play ©FIVB

American top seeds Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross comfortably overcame Germany’s Isabel Schneider and Teresa Mersmann today to finish undefeated in pool play at the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Cincinnati Open in Ohio.

The pair recorded a 21-16, 21-18 win over their 17th-ranked opponents to make it three wins out of three in Pool A.

Tomorrow, they will face the winners of the all-American encounter between Emily Day and Jen Kessy and Lane Carico and Summer Ross.

Victory in the second round of the elimination phase will earn Walsh Jennings and Ross a place in the quarter-finals, which are also due to take place tomorrow at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

Among the other pool winners, all of whom have earned a bye in the first stage of the knockout round, are second-seeded Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley of Canada and fourth-seeded Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo of Spain.

Sixth seeds Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler of Germany also go straight into the second round along with Miller Pata and Lineline Matauatu of Vanuatu, Barbora Hermannova and Marketa Slukova of Czech Republic, Tanja Huberli and Nina Betschart of Switzerland, and Rimke Braakman and Jolien Sinnema of The Netherlands.

United States' Casey Patterson (left) and Jake Gibb (right) went undefeated in men's pool play
United States' Casey Patterson (left) and Jake Gibb (right) went undefeated in men's pool play ©FIVB

In the men’s event, home favourites Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson completed Pool A with a perfect record after winning the final two of their three matches.

Currently sixth in the provisional Olympic rankings through the FIVB World Tour, the top seeds opened the day by defeating Poland’s 17th-seeded Michal Bryl and Kacper Kosiak 21-18, 21-13.

They then went on to beat Austria’s 16th-seeded Thomas Kunert and Christoph Dressler 21-14, 21-15.

"It's a big win for us," Gibb said after the win against the Austrian duo.

"Winning pools is huge.

"There are a lot of good teams out here, so winning is big."

Two other US teams went undefeated, with second-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena topping Pool B and 19th-seeded brothers Trevor and Taylor Crabb winning Pool C.

Mexican sixth-seeds Lombardo Ontiveros and Juan Virgen also achieved the feat along with Canada's Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter, Australia’s Isaac Kapa and Christopher McHugh, and Brazil’s Saymon Barbosa and Gustavo Carvalhaes.

Germany’s Bennet Poniewaz and Alexander Walkenhorst won Pool E on a tiebreaker with two wins out of three.