AVP Manhattan Beach fans were treated to epic volleyball in just about every match Sunday. Newly crowned gold medalists April Ross and Alix Klineman won the women’s bracket, with Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb getting their names on the Manhattan Beach Pier, the first for Bourne, second for Crabb.
Highlights included two surprise semifinals teams, Brazilian qualifiers Larissa Franca and Liliane Maestrini and No. 10 seed Billy Allen and Andy Benesh.
Last week’s Atlanta champions Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth? The former LSU stars took Kelly Claes and Sponcil to a 39-37 first set (the second longest in AVP history) before succumbing 21-15 in the second.
And oldies but goodies Ricardo Santos (age 46) and John Hyden (age 48) scratched and clawed their way to a fifth place finish with a 90-minute win over Paul Lotman and Miles Partain (21-16, 21-23, 16-14) before being eliminated in 97-minutes by Allen and Benesh (20-22, 23-21, 15-9).
The tournament proved that beach volleyball fans are back in a big way, with lines sometimes in excess of a hundred yards to get into the stadium and fans inside the stadium holding it throughout the day in order to keep their seats.
The best photos from VolleyballMag.com photo editor Ed Chan, Mark Rigney, and Jim Wolf follow. If you missed our previous AVP Manhattan Beach photo galleries, Saturday’s photos are here, Friday’s photos are here, Thursday’s photos are here, and Wednesday’s photos are here.
Andy Benesh lays out to set Billy Allen/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Tri Bourne, Trevor Crabb, and Jose Loiola celebrate their 2021 MBO win/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Betsi Metter gets the team off to a good start in set 1/Mark Rigney photo
Ricardo Santos gives some attitude/Mark Rigney photo
Liliane Maestrini on defense/Mark Rigney photo
Theo Brunner blocks this Tri Bourne spike attempt/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Taryn Kloth goes over line/Jim Wolf photo
The stadium crowd performs the wave at Mark Schuermann’s direction/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Larissa Franca kisses her son Gael/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Paul Lotman jousts with Ricardo Santos/Jim Wolf photo
Sara Hughes celebrates the first set win/Mark Rigney photo
Brandie Wilkerson follows through after running down a dig/Jim Wolf photo
Sarah Sponcil makes an open-handed dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
The AVP sets up a jumbo screen for fans that couldn’t get into the stadium/Jim Wolf photo
John Hyden in action in 2021/Mark Rigney photo
Betsi Metter takes the angle/Mark Rigney photo
Andy Benesh goes down in a cloud of sand/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Casey Patterson digs a Tri Bourne spike/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Kelly Claes puts the brakes on after hustling to set
Tri Bourne hits on two before Chase Budinger can get a block up/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
April Ross digs a shot in the women’s final/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Kelly Claes rips a spike on two/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Liliane Maestrini throws her sunglasses and hat after their quarterfinal win/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Em’s Entourage celebrates/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Tri Bourne has a Kona celebration/Jim Wolf photo
Tri Bourne finds an opening in the block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Fans line up to get into the AVP Manhattan Beach stadium/Jim Wolf photo
Trevor Crabb gets a transition opportunity without a block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Brandie Wilkerson plays a ball off her own block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Emily Day takes line against Liliane Maestrini/Jim Wolf photo
Trevor Crabb and Tri Bourne come together after winning the Manhattan Beach Open//Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Larissa hugs coach Doug Nascimento after a 3 set victory over Hughes/Wilkerson/Mark Rigney photo
Trevor Crabb pushes trainer Mykel Jenkins to the sand in celebration/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Court 1 attracted a crowd/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Larissa Franca kisses Liliane Maestrini after winning into the semifinals/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Casey Patterson gets handcuffed by a net serve/Jim Wolf photo
Alix Klineman extends for a spike in the women’s final/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Alix Klineman pokeys it over/Jim Wolf photo
Liliane Maestrini throws off her hat and glasses after securing their berth in the semifinals/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Theo Brunner blocks a Tri Bourne swing/Jim Wolf photo
Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb pass the middle/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Emily Day reacts after blocking Alix Klineman at AVP MBO 2021/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Andy Benesh and Billy Allen pass the middle serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
John Hyden digs in a spray of sand/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Tri Bourne dives for a serve/Jim Wolf photo
Stadium court was packed both Saturday and Sunday/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Liliane Maestrini and Larissa Franca celebrate/Mark Rigney photo
Sarah Sponcil hustles for the ball/Jim Wolf photo
Chaim Schalk and Tri Bourne leap at the net/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Brandie Wilkerson hits off the block of Liliane Maestrini/Mark Rigney photo
Casey Patterson stretches for a net serve/Jim Wolf photo
Chaim Schalk runs through a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
The court 1 crowd/Jim Wolf photo
Brandie Wilkerson receives serve in a tight second set/Mark Rigney photo
Alix Klineman takes the line on this spike/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Sarah Sponcil passes/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Tri Bourne loads up for a block/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Sara Hughes makes a scramble play/Mark Rigney photo
Emily Day serves/Jim Wolf photo
Taryn Kloth hits high off Kelly Claes’ hands/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Kyra Zaengle stretches to keep the play alive in the Cal Cup U14 final/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Lili shuts down Brandie at the net in set 3/Mark Rigney photo
Brandie Wilkerson scores a kill/Mark Rigney photo
Kristen Nuss dives for the line serve/Jim Wolf photo
Casey Patterson digs a spike/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb with their Manhattan Pier plaques/Jim Wolf photo
Ricardo controlling the net/Mark Rigney photo
Sarah Sponcil lays out for a dig/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Trevor Crabb spikes a ball that Taylor Crabb tries to dig at close range/Jim Wolf photo
April Ross serves/Jim Wolf photo
Sarah Sponcil lunges for a pass/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Paul Lotman celebrates/Jim Wolf photo
Sarah Sponcil flies for a dig/Jim Wolf photo
Kelly Claes serves on stadium court with the boom camera overhead/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Trevor Crabb keeps his eyes on the ball/Jim Wolf photo
Kristen Nuss dives for a save/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Chaim Schalk runs down a shot/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Emily Day and Betsi Flint high five the crowd/Jim Wolf photo
Larissa Franca celebrates as the momentum swings in set 3/Mark Rigney photo
John Hyden dives for the touch/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Ryan MacDowell and Matt Levoe confer on a line call/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
“Mr. Freeze” Billy Allen stays alive in the 2nd./Mark Rigney photo
Andy Benesh tries to revive Billy Allen during the long freeze in set 2/Mark Rigney photo
Kevin Barnett hits mini-balls into the crowd/Jim Wolf photo
Tri Bourne, Trevor Crabb, and Jose Loiola celebrate/Jim Wolf photo
April Ross digs a net serve/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
Sara Hughes dives to the line/Mark Rigney photo
Chase Budinger hits angle/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
John Hyden scoops a dig outside the lines/Jim Wolf photo
Andy Benesh tries to revive Billy Allen during the long freeze in set 2/Mark Rigney photo
Taylor Crabb beats Chaim Schalk to the angle/Jim Wolf photo
Chase Budinger hustles to make a play at the scorer’s table/Jim Wolf photo
Billy Allen picks up a shot/Jim Wolf photo
Sarah Sponcil plays a ball falling out of the net/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
April Ross and Alix Klineman are all smiles after their second MBO win together/Jim Wolf photo
Ricardo Santos diagrams the play for John Hyden and Doug Nascimento during timeout/Ed Chan, VBshots.com
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