Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross triumph at Long Beach, and Brazilians win men’s title

Two hours and 10 minutes after Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross won gold Sunday in beach volleyball, a Brazilian pair kept the U.S. from sweeping the Long Beach Grand Slam.

Third-seeded Pedro Solberg and Evandro beat the U.S.’ top men’s team of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, 21-19, 17-21, 15-9, to capture the title and the $57,000 first-place prize.

Walsh Jennings and Ross, coming off a bronze medal in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, topped Spain’s Elsa Baquerizo and Liliana Fernandez in straight sets, 21-16, 21-16, to win the women’s championship.

Twenty Olympic teams competed across the two brackets, and height ruled on the tournament’s last day. That worked for the U.S. on the women’s side, as the 6-foot-2 Walsh Jennings controlled the match at the net. But it had the opposite effect in the men’s final, as the 6-foot-11 Evandro proved too much for Dalhausser and Lucena to handle.

“For her to take over the net, it was amazing timing,” Ross, a Costa Mesa native and USC graduate, said. “She really kept them off their game because they didn’t know what she was going to do, so I think they got a little hesitant when they were up there.”

After winning in the semifinals Saturday, Walsh Jennings said she was due for more blocks at the net.

She lived up to that against Baquerizo and Fernandez, who lost in the round of 16 in Rio. Ross later said she didn’t feel confident with her defensive reads, and Walsh Jennings’ outstretched arms eased the pressure on her.

Walsh Jennings’ effect was twofold: The Spaniards never got comfortable at the net, and a U.S. win was never in doubt.

“I just want to contribute, and defense is my favorite part of the game,” Walsh Jennings said. “So getting blocks and making things happen is huge.”

Shortly after Walsh Jennings and Ross won, Evandro showcased his physical presence in warmups.

With Solberg setting him up at the net, he unfurled his sinewy frame for a handful of spikes.

He started off slow, rising up to place shots all around the court. Then he ramped it up, hanging well above the net before sending balls off the sand and into the stadium’s seats.

When the 6-foot-9 Dalhausser started in beach volleyball a decade ago, he said he was the tallest player in the sport. Now he doesn’t think he’s one of the 10 tallest players, and Evandro had a clear height advantage Sunday.

Dalhausser and Lucena clawed to a third set, but Evandro’s serve and blocking ability kept the Americans from gaining control of it. When Dalhausser clipped the tape for a match-ending net violation, Evandro stood across from him and raised both his arms in the air.

And somehow he appeared bigger than he had all afternoon.

“He was big blocking,” said Solberg, who teamed with Evandro in Rio for a round-of-16 finish. “The first set we were down, 17-15, and he got some blocks, and then in the third set too. It helped us so much.”

The U.S. left the Olympics with mixed results, as Dalhausser and Lucena finished fifth while Walsh Jennings and Ross won bronze.

On a day where success hinged on height, only one of those teams bounced back by winning gold.

“I feel so proud of what we were able to do today, because it wasn’t easy,” Walsh Jennings said. “You know, coming back from Rio, that’s a lot. It’s a lot that we just went through. But ultimately we’re professionals and we love it, and we wanted to win this.”

jesse.dougherty@latimes.com

Twitter: @dougherty_jesse