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Rio de Janeiro • The Beach Volleyball Arena is a jaw-dropping, 12,000-seat outdoor venue that stands on the sands of the world famous Copacabana beach. All in all, not too shabby of a place for Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson to hoist up the first serve of their 2016 Olympic aspirations.

The University of Utah graduate (Gibb) and former BYU indoor volleyball star (Patterson) start their march toward a medal Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. MDT in their first match of the Rio Games against Qatari duo Jefferson Santos Pereira and Cherif Younousse. The sixth seed in Pool F, Gibb and Patterson hope to kick off their Olympic debut as a pair Saturday with a win before facing Austria next Monday and Spain on Aug. 10.

Patterson was set to walk with Team USA in Friday night's Opening Ceremony at The MaracanĂ£, along with seven other members of the beach volleyball group, according to USA Volleyball. However, Gibb and American beach volleyball stars Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross ultimately decided to pass.

"I'm 40 years old and competing the day after," Gibb said earlier this week. "I'm going to save these legs."

Earlier this week, Gibb and Paterson met with the media in Rio to speak about their first Olympic match together.

"This is the deepest Olympic field that I've been a part of — it's crazy deep," Gibb said. "There are 20 teams that can medal. It's exciting to see all these different countries just develop the program and really start to play really good volleyball. It's a little frustrating. I'd like them to be a little worse, but it's really cool."

This will be a third straight Olympic appearance for Gibb, who is the oldest player competing in beach volleyball in Rio. His last two appearances in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012 resulted in fifth-place finishes with former partner Sean Rosenthal. Patterson, the exuberant 6-foot-6 former Cougar who picked up the nickname "Mr. Boom" in his early pro days, makes his Olympic debut Saturday on Copacabana.

Ever quotable Patterson delivered once again, saying the energy of Rio and the Olympic Village "almost punches you in the face."

Gibb and Patterson first joined forces in 2013 and have experienced plenty of success in their three years together. In Year 1, they were named USA Volleyball's Beach Team of the Year after winning a gold and silver in two Grand Slam events together on the AVP World Tour. In 2014, they were named the AVP's Men's Team of the Year. Last year, the duo won the 2015 St. Petersburg Grand Slam. Patterson was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.

From August 2014 to August 2015, they won 27 straight AVP matches.

These Rio Games signify the 20-year anniversary of beach volleyball's inclusion in the Olympics. In the last two decades, the sport has taken off worldwide, but especially in Brazil. The host country has won 12 Olympic medals between its men's and women's beach squads, including a gold in women's beach volleyball in the inaugural tournament in Atlanta in 1996.

"I think it'll be the best Olympic Games for beach volleyball that we've had," Gibb said in an interview in July.

The setting itself is a victory for the athletes and spectators. The venue on Copacabana will be the first to feature a natural beach since the 2000 Games in Sydney.

If that wasn't enough, Gibb and Patterson will bump, set or spike at dusk on one of the world's most picturesque beaches.

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

Volleyball on Copacabana

Key match • Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson (USA) vs. Jefferson Santos Pereira and Cherif Younousse (Qatar)

Time • Saturday, 1:30 MDT

Location • Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro

More coverage

Kragthorpe • Opening Ceremony features Brazil's musical traditions, and call for ecology. > A1 Online • http://www.sltrib.com/sports/olympics