Katie Hogan plays a net serve/Mark Rigney photography
HERMOSA BEACH — Opportunity abounded at AVP Hermosa Beach as many of the top dogs competed overseas. Chase Budinger seized the opportunity to capture his first AVP win in front of the home crowd with Casey Patterson, who added his 15th win, his first in three years.
Loyola Marymount products Emily Day and Betsi Flint won their title without dropping a set to give Day her 10th title, Flint her fifth.
There were a number of notable finishes, including a final for Miles Evans, playing in his first event with Ryan Doherty. Former USA middle blocker David Lee not only won his first AVP main draw match, but reached his first semifinal with Sean Rosenthal.
On the women’s side, three teams (Katie Hogan and Megan Rice, Sheila Shaw and Mackenzie Ponnet, and Zana Muno and Crissy Jones) came out of the qualifier to reach the Hermosa semifinals, Shaw after breaking her finger during qualifying.
VolleyballMag.com publisher Ed Chan and contributors Mark Rigney and Jim Wolf were on hand and present the following photo gallery.
David Lee is pumped in his first semifinal/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Delaney Knudsen plays a short serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Emily Day gets her hands on a Zana Muno spike/Mark Rigney photography
Kyle Radde dives for the tape serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Mackenzie Ponnet dives for the high line shot/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Kim Hildreth dives for the serve but the tape alters its path/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Tory Paranagua gets there for the block touch/Jim Wolf photography
Sheila Shaw passes on stadium court/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Skylar DelSol draws the block with a jump set/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Sarah Schermerhorn makes a scramble play/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Sean Rosenthal goes to full extension for a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Zana Muno slides underneath a dig/Jim Wolf photography
Sarah Schermerhorn picks up the short serve/Mark Rigney photography
Betsi Flint can’t quite save this cut shot/Mark Rigney photography
