Manhattan Beach AVP Volleyball Tourney Preview benefiting Westside & Maui Food Banks, Preview, Post Results- August 2023
All four champions – Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander,
Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles – capture their first
AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open titles
The Crabb brothers make history as the first blood relatives with plaques on the prestigious Manhattan Beach Pier Walk of Fame
MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA (August 20, 2023) — Competition heated up Sunday morning as rain poured down in the South Bay, where the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open crowned four first-time champions. In one year, Taylor Crabb, Taylor Sander, Betsi Flint, and Julia Scoles will join decades of beach volleyball legends with their names engraved on plaques installed on the Manhattan Beach Pier Walk of
Fame.
Top-seeded Flint and Scoles had a long battle through the contenders’ bracket after a first-round loss to 32nd-seeded Chloe Loreen/Natalie Robinson in their first match Friday, but they came all the way back in the double-elimination tournament to win the women’s final, 22-20, 21-13, over defending MBO champion
Kelley Kolinske and Hailey Harward, seeded seventh. The third time was the charm for Flint, who has had three consecutive Manhattan Beach Open championship appearances with three different partners, falling short the last two years.
Amidst Sunday’s tropical storm, Flint and Scoles played three matches in the span of five hours, emerging unscathed in all three. The duo knocked out second-seeded Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Schermerhorn 21-19, 21- 13, in a 7 a.m. contenders’ bracket quarterfinals match and upended eighth-seeded Deahna Kraft/Zana Muno 21-13, 21-11, in the semifinals before capping their clean sweep in the finals.
In a rematch of Saturday’s “Crabb Boil” that sent them into the contenders’ bracket, Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander got revenge on top-seeded Theo Brunner and Trevor Crabb, capturing the men’s title at the Manhattan Beach Open and etching their names on the Manhattan Beach Pier Walk of Fame. Taylor Crabb will join his older brother Trevor, who won three consecutive MBO championships in 2019, 2021, and 2022,
making history as the first blood relatives with plaques on the pier.
Crabb and Sander closed out the competition strong with back-to-back straight set sweeps. In the semifinals, the duo overcame 10th-seeded Hagen Smith, son of beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith, and Logan Webber 23-21, 21-15. With their 27-25, 21-16 men’s finals defeat over Brunner and Crabb, Taylor Crabb prevented his
brother from achieving a four-peat and proved he and Sander are among the best in beach volleyball history.
The AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open featured 32-team women’s and men’s fields competing in a double-elimination bracket across 10 courts from Friday through Sunday. Each gender’s bracket consisted of 16 teams automatically entered based on the AVP ranking points, eight wild cards and eight teams whoearned entry through an open qualifying tournament held Thursday.
The 2023 AVP Tour schedule includes 12 tournaments across the country, offering more than $1.5 million in prize money. Four Tour Series events feature 16 or 24-team brackets competing over three days and four Pro Series events each offer a 16-team draw playing over three days of play. The three AVP Gold Series tournaments are three-day events with 16- or 32-team brackets.
Sunday’s Results
Women:
Contenders’ bracket quarterfinals
• (1) Betsi Flint/Julia Scoles def. (2) Corinne Quiggle/Sarah Schermerhorn, 21-19, 21-13
• (7) Hailey Harward/Kelley Kolinske def. (4) Toni Rodriguez/Savvy Simo, 21-18, 21-16
Semifinals
• (1) Betsi Flint/Julia Scoles def. (8) Deahna Kraft/Zana Muno, 21-13, 21-11
• (7) Hailey Harward/Kelley Kolinske def. (3) Megan Kraft/Emily Stockman, 21-17, 13-21, 18-16
Finals
• (1) Betsi Flint/Julia Scoles def. (7) Hailey Harward/Kelley Kolinske, 22-20, 21-13
Men:
Semifinals
• (1) Theo Brunner/Trevor Crabb def. (12) Cody Caldwell/Seain Cook, 21-15, 21-6
• (4) Taylor Crabb/Taylor Sander def. (10) Hagen Smith/Logan Webber, 23-21, 21-15
Finals
• (4) Taylor Crabb/Taylor Sander def. (1) Theo Brunner/Trevor Crabb, 27-25, 21-16
AVP Quotes of the Day:
“The emotions are high and low all the time in this sport. It’s really about trying to stay steady and not riding the highs too high and the lows too low. We know this is such a talented field, and anyone is capable of winning on anygiven day. We just have to continue to show up each game and try our best and hope for the right outcome. That is
exactly what we did this weekend, and I am just so grateful to be here playing the sport I love.”
• Julia Scoles, on winning the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open alongside partner Betsi Flint after falling short in their opening match and battling back through the contenders’ bracket.
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“This is legendary. You’re not a legend unless you’re up on that pier, and we’re up there now. These fans are amazing. There’s a freaking hurricane, and they’re cheering in a packed stadium. This is our dream, and we’re living it.”
• Taylor Sander, after securing a place on the Manhattan Beach Pier Walk of Fame amongst beach volleyball’s top talent with Taylor Crabb following a men’s finals win at the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open
Fans attending AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open encouraged to support West Side Food Bank and the Maui Food Bank with food and financial donations
· The AVP, Beach Nation Volleyball and Wilson are teaming up to collect non-perishable food and donations for the Westside Food Bank and the Maui Food Bank to help support local families in need and provide assistance to those affected by wildfires in Hawaii
· Food and financial donations can made at the Beach Nation Tent, next to the AVP Welcome Center on the Manhattan Beach Pier, Friday, August 18 – Sunday, August 20 during tournament hours
MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA (August 15, 2023) — Fans attending this week’s AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open are encouraged to support the West Side Food Bank in Southern California and the Maui Food Bank in Hawaii with food and financial donations to both organizations.
Donations will help local families in the Los Angeles area and provide assistance to those affected by the devastating wildfires in Maui.
Non-perishable food items and financial donations will be collected Friday, August 18, through Sunday, August 20, at the Beach Nation tent next to the AVP Welcome Center on the Manhattan Beach Pier during tournament hours. Fans are encouraged to donate two food items (list of suitable items can be found here) or a financial contribution within their means. Throughout the tournament, current AVP stars and legends of the game will visit the Beach Nation tent to accept donations, take pictures and sign autographs with fans.
The AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open will be held at the Manhattan Beach Pier (100 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266) from Thursday, August 17 through Sunday, August 20.
General admission to the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open is FREE every day, with the option to purchase premium seating for Club AVP, Premium Club, The Deck, and Courtside Boxes, all ranging in price. Tickets are available now at www.avp.com/tickets/.
The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Beach Nation, and Wilson all serve and benefit from LA’s South Bay communities. Beach Nation makes opportunity possible by inspiring the human spirit, teaching life skills and empowering people through sport and education. Wilson strives to empower their athletes on and off the court, and the AVP works to leave our beaches and communities better than we found them.
“We are pleased to partner with Beach Nation and Wilson to support Westside Food Bank and Maui Food Bank – two organizations doing important and impactful work in communities that are near and dear to our hearts,” said Al Lau, CEO of the AVP. “The Manhattan Beach Open is always one of the biggest and most high-profile events of our season, and this is a great opportunity to use that platform to not only collect donations for the food banks, but to raise awareness for the work they are doing and hopefully encourage others to support them.”
Westside Food Bank serves the west side of L.A. County, which is home to nearly one million people. More than 200,000 people in the area struggle to either afford or access nutritious food. Financial donations go directly to those in need. A donation of just $35 provides 140 meals, while a $750 donation equates to 3,000 meals.
Maui Food Bank’s mission is to help the hungry in Maui County by collecting and distributing food through community partnerships. The organization is currently requesting donations of rice, canned protein (pop-tops), canned meals (pop-tops), snacks, protein and breakfast bars, peanut butter, jelly, baby food, diapers, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, paper towels and other toiletries.
The 2023 Manhattan Beach Open will mark the 21st time the AVP has held the women’s tournament by the pier and the 35th time the AVP men’s event has been held here, though the city has hosted professional tournaments for more than six decades. Past champions in Manhattan Beach include many of beach volleyball’s biggest names, including Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross, Alix Klineman, Karch Kiraly, Sinjin Smith, Jake Gibb and Phil Dalhausser.
The AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open will feature 32-team women’s and men’s fields competing in a double-elimination bracket across 10 courts from Friday through Sunday. Each gender’s bracket consists of 16 teams automatically entered based on the AVP ranking points, eight wild cards and eight teams who will earn entry through an open qualifying tournament held Thursday, August 17. The field of registered players is subject to change, and the most up-to-date entry list can be found here.
The 2023 AVP Tour schedule includes 12 tournaments across the country, offering more than $1.6 million in prize money. Four Tour Series events feature 16 or 24-team brackets competing over three days, along with four Pro Series events offering a 16-team draw over three days of play. The three AVP Gold Series tournaments are three-day events with 16- or 32-team brackets.
Media credentials:
Media representing recognized editorial outlets who are interested in covering the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open can apply here: https://avp.com/press-
About AVP
The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is powered by the most dynamic and elite athletes in the world. 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the original, the biggest, the longest running, and still the best professional beach volleyball organization. It is recognized the world over as the leader in professional beach volleyball. The decorated AVP Pro Tour is the gold standard in beach volleyball, with more than 100 professional athletes competing for top prize money in front of more than 120 million fans worldwide.
The AVP Puts Gender Equity In Play
For its 40th anniversary, the AVP celebrates its past and looks toward the future with a continued commitment to strive for gender equity in professional sports. As one of the only co-gendered professional sports organizations, the AVP’s “Women Lead the Way” initiative recognizes the immense contribution that our women athletes have had on the popularity and growth of beach volleyball over the years.
The AVP Season
Beginning in March, the AVP presents four Pro and three Gold Series tournaments in locations across the U.S., culminating in the Championship Tournament in the fall. Included in the schedule is the Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open, the longest-running and most prestigious beach volleyball tournament in the United States.
For more information, please visit avp.com and follow the AVP on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter @avpbeach.