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HUNTINGTON BEACH, California — Within the moments after Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander closed one of the dominant AVP performances in latest reminiscence, successful 5 straight matches in 10 straight units whereas hardly breaking a sweat en path to an AVP Huntington Seaside Open title, Crabb and Sander have been requested about their friends absent in Huntington, those nonetheless chasing an Olympic berth.
“They’re in all probability jealous proper now,” Sander mentioned, referencing Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, and Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, all of whom are in Portugal for this upcoming week’s Espinho Elite16.
“We’re out right here in stunning Huntington Seaside, they’re grinding in Portugal.”
“They’re in all probability crying of their resort rooms,” Crabb mentioned with a wink and fun — whereas he was successful in entrance of a house crowd, bringing in additional prize cash in a single occasion ($15,000) than any of his friends this yr. Which made the subsequent query a straightforward one for Crabb and Sander to reply: Have they got any plans of resuming play on the Seaside Professional Tour after the Olympics?
A shared look. An unequivocal embracing of the second because it was: The most effective volleyball they’ve performed thus far, even higher than the scintillating run they placed on throughout their maiden Manhattan Seaside Open win in 2023, in entrance of an impressive, sold-out crowd that packed the stands and crammed the Pier.
“It’s all concerning the AVP League,” Crabb mentioned. “Sorry.”
“Have a look at this ambiance,” Sander added. “I used to be taking it in in the course of the Nationwide Anthem. The Pier is filled with individuals, the stands are filled with individuals cheering. We’ve executed a variety of worldwide stuff and also you don’t get this. We’re so fortunate to have the seashore volleyball followers that we do right here. It’s so good to come back again and be at among the best seashores on the planet.”
Whereas this has been one of many longest off-seasons — and possibly the longest low season — of both Sander or Crabb’s seashore profession, their season was mechanically prolonged into November. Their win in Huntington Seaside clinched one of many eight slots within the fall’s AVP League, an all-new idea that provides incentive and strain to every of the three AVP Heritage Sequence occasions this season.
“Throughout our Friday matches, we have been nervous,” Crabb mentioned. “Each event means one thing. It’s good to get that below our belt and have some enjoyable.”
If enjoyable wasn’t had throughout Huntington, it’s tough to think about what may suffice as an excellent time. Crabb and Sander’s 21-15, 21-15 sweep over Seain Prepare dinner and Cody Caldwell within the finals was the exclamation level on a weekend through which not a single workforce got here inside two factors they usually outscored opponents by 46 whole.
“We did our factor,” mentioned Sander, the 2023 Server of the 12 months who completed tied for third with eight aces. “We confirmed up right here. We now have to indicate up and play and win. I’m pleased with us that we did that. It doesn’t matter if these groups aren’t right here. Any time we play, we need to win and we need to get higher and we did that and I’m pleased with that.
“We performed our sport, to be trustworthy. We performed our sport and our sport was adequate.”
Ok, too, for Prepare dinner and Caldwell, who made their first profession finals. Their solely losses, the truth is, have been each to Crabb and Sander, the primary within the quarterfinals, the second within the finals. They made their means again to the finals with wins over Evan Cory and Alison Cerutti (23-21, 21-12) and Tri Bourne and Chaim Schalk (16-21, 21-15, 18-16).
Melissa Humana-Paredes, Brandie Wilkerson attain new degree in APV Huntington win
The ladies’s winners, Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, needed to transcend their already-world class sport in claiming their first AVP win because the season-opening Miami Open of 2023. A quarterfinal loss to Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth (21-17, 19-21, 12-15) that was as streaky because it was good sentenced them to the contender’s bracket and three matches on Sunday. Wins have been required over Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft (21-12, 21-19) within the quarterfinals and World Champs Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes (21-19, 21-16) within the semifinals to earn a rematch with Nuss and Kloth.
After which that rematch started to indicate so many shades of the primary. A primary set win preceded a late second-set benefit, one which was wiped by Nuss and Kloth and flipped right into a 21-18 loss. As they did within the quarterfinals, they went to 3, a scenario through which they’d break up the earlier six matches that went three units.
However in that third set, Humana-Paredes sustained an otherworldly defensive efficiency, tacking on 5 further digs to deliver her whole for the match to 30, and whole for the event to 98 — 27 greater than No. 2 Megan Kraft. Actually, her 30 digs for the match would rank her at No. 10 for the whole event by itself.
“We’ve been wanting this win for fairly some time,” Wilkerson mentioned after the eventual 23-21, 18-21, 15-13 win over Nuss and Kloth within the finals. “We by no means gave up and it confirmed.”
“We’re all simply preventing for it,” Humana-Paredes mentioned, “At this degree within the ladies’s sport, the momentum switches backwards and forwards on a regular basis. “It’s at all times nice to play at that degree, it’s at all times nice to play the most effective groups on the planet. Understanding that each one three of us have a shot to make a splash in Paris is absolutely particular. We’re consistently enhancing and having fun with the second.
“You’ve simply received to stay regular and be constant. Additionally, I really feel you’ve received to take some dangers. You’ve received to place your self on the market and I feel the courageous ones will prevail.”
As Crabb and Sander did, Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson clinched a berth within the fall league, leaving seven remaining spots for his or her friends to assert in Manhattan Seaside in August and Chicago in September.
“It’s unimaginable. We’ve been so enthusiastic about this league,” mentioned Wilkerson, who led the event in blocks with 23. “We love every part the AVP is doing and this has been an incredible begin and we are able to’t wait.”
Of their fifteenth AVP occasion collectively, Kloth and Nuss, the previous LSU seashore stars, have been looking for their seventh win. As completed as they’re, there’s nonetheless one factor lacking.
“We battle with them each single time,” Nuss mentioned. “Sadly we had a few factors that didn’t go our means however they performed a hell of a match so kudos to them. It could have meant quite a bit.
“We haven’t gained a California event, it’s positively one thing we’d have appreciated to have modified however we’re simply proud, we had enjoyable and the group has been superior.”
Phil Collin contributed to this story.
We can have an AVP Huntington Seaside Open picture gallery Tuesday with pictures from Mark Rigney, Will Chu, Rick Atwood, Jim Wolf and Allen Szto.
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