AVP Huntington Beach: Mostly quiet Friday with few surprises

Much of Friday AVP play typically consists of top four seeds beating up on qualifier teams, and true to form in Huntington Beach, the top four seeds for both genders came through the first round unscathed, although qualifiers Ed Ratledge and Eric Zaun tested second-seeded Theo Brunner and Casey Patterson mightily in three deuce sets, 22-20, 20-22, 16-14.

On the men’s side of the draw, the upset of the day involved the same pair of Brunner and Patterson. In a battle of new teams, No. 7 Ryan Doherty and John Hyden bested Brunner and Patterson 21-17, 21-18. There were two minor upsets in winners bracket competition, as Billy Allen and Stafford Slick outfought Trevor Crabb and Sean Rosenthal 21-17, 19-21, 15-13, and No. 9 Mark Burik and Avery Drost snuck past Team Ty (Loomis and Tramblie) 15-21, 21-18, 15-8.

In the contenders bracket, there were no surprises, as all of the qualifiers were eliminated from the tournament except for Ratledge and Zaun, who advanced following a shoulder injury to Gregg Weaver in their previous match against Doherty and Hyden.

The women’s draw played out in a very similar fashion.

The top four seeds all demonstrated their superiority over the four qualifier teams in the first round. In the upset of the day, No. 6 Betsi Flint and Kelley Larsen sent No. 3 Angela Bensend and Geena Urango into the contender’s bracket 21-15, 21-14. It was a bad day for No. 8 seeds, as Sheila Shaw and Brittany Tiegs lost a tight three-set match to No. 9 Caitlin Ledoux and Heather McGuire, who is returning in excellent form following her absence from the tour in 2016.

In the contenders bracket, two qualifying teams survived Friday, as first-time qualifier Alix Klineman and partner Jace Pardon scored a 19-21, 21-16, 15-11 upset over Shaw and Tiegs, and No. 13 Janelle Allen and Briana Hinga defeated No. 12 Amanda Dowdy and Irene Hester Pollock.

Saturday’s forecast shows a 50-percent chance of precipitation and 12-15 mph winds, which promise to equalize the competition as well as increase the upset potential.

Saturday’s match schedule

9:15 a.m.: No. 9 Caitlin Ledoux/Heather McGuire vs No. 11 Karolina Marciniak/Kendra VanZwieten (Stadium)
9:20 a.m.: No. 15 Ed Ratledge/Eric Zaun vs Trevor Crabb/No. 4 Sean Rosenthal (Court 2)
9:20 a.m.: No. 5 Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman vs No. 10 Nicole Branagh/Xi Zhang (Court 1)
10:20 a.m.: No. 11 Tim and Brian Bomgren vs No. 9 Mark Burik/Avery Drost (Stadium)
10:25 a.m.: No. 3 Angela Bensend/Geena Urango vs No. 16 Alix Klineman/Jace Pardon (Court 1)
10:30 a.m.: No. 7 Jen Fopma/Kelly Reeves vs No. 13 Janelle Allen/Briana Hinga (Court 2)
11:25 a.m.: No. 2 Whitney Pavlik/April Ross vs No. 6 Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen (Stadium)
11:30 a.m.: No. 6 Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer vs. No. 8 Ty Loomis/Ty Tramblie (Court 1)
12:35 p.m.: No. 3 Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena vs No. 6 Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer (Stadium)
1:35 p.m.: No. 1 Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar vs No. 4 Lane Carico/Lauren Fendrick (Stadium)
2:40 p.m.: No. 1 Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb vs No. 5 Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (Stadium)

Friday’s results:
Men’s Winner’s Bracket
Round 1
Match 1: Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (1) def. Branden Clemens/Ben Vaught (16, Q9) 21-16, 21-19 (0:40)
Match 2: Mark Burik/Avery Drost (9) def. Ty Loomis/Ty Tramblie (8) 15-21, 21-18, 15-8 (0:58)
Match 3: Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (5) def. Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts (12) 21-18, 21-19 (0:45)
Match 4: Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal (4) def. Michael Brunsting/Chase Frishman (13, Q2) 21-17, 21-16 (0:40)
Match 5: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (3) def. Maddison McKibbin/Riley McKibbin (14, Q3) 21-19, 21-6 (0:40)
Match 6: Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer (6) def. Brian Bomgren/Tim Bomgren (11) 21-15, 22-24, 15-13 (1:04)
Match 7: Ryan Doherty/John Hyden (7) def. Curt Toppel/Gregg Weaver (10) 21-15, 21-7 (0:27)
Match 8: Theo Brunner/Casey Patterson (2) def. Ed Ratledge/Eric Zaun (15, Q4) 22-20, 20-22, 16-14 (1:17)

Round 2
Match 9: Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (1) def. Mark Burik/Avery Drost (9) 19-21, 21-17, 15-12 (1:12)
Match 10: Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (5) def. Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal (4) 21-17, 19-21, 15-13 (1:02)
Match 11: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (3) def. Jeremy Casebeer/John Mayer (6) 21-18, 21-13 (0:31)
Match 12: Ryan Doherty/John Hyden (7) def. Theo Brunner/Casey Patterson (2) 21-17, 21-18 (0:40)

Men’s Contender’s Bracket
Round 1
Match 15: Ed Ratledge/Eric Zaun (15, Q4) def. Curt Toppel/Gregg Weaver (10) by Forfeit
Match 16: Brian Bomgren/Tim Bomgren (11) def. Maddison McKibbin/Riley McKibbin (14, Q3) 17-21, 21-16, 15-11 (1:00)
Match 17: Marty Lorenz/Adam Roberts (12) def. Michael Brunsting/Chase Frishman (13, Q2) 21-16, 21-19 (0:48)
Match 18: Ty Loomis/Ty Tramblie (8) def. Branden Clemens/Ben Vaught (16, Q9) 21-13, 21-15 (0:40)

Women’s Winner’s Bracket
Round 1
Match 1: Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar (1) def. Alix Klineman/Jace Pardon (16, Q7) 21-19, 21-16 (0:48)
Match 2: Caitlin Ledoux/Heather McGuire (9) def. Sheila Shaw/Brittany Tiegs (8) 21-14, 15-21, 15-9 (0:50)
Match 3: Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman (5) def. Amanda Dowdy/Irene Hester Pollock (12) 21-14, 21-13 (0:45)
Match 4: Lane Carico/Lauren Fendrick (4) def. Janelle Allen/Briana Hinga (13, Q1) 21-19, 21-17 (0:41)
Match 5: Angela Bensend/Geena Urango (3) def. Katie Jameson/Tracy Jones (14, Q3) 21-19, 21-16 (0:37)
Match 6: Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen (6) def. Karolina Marciniak/Kendra VanZwieten (11) 20-22, 19-21, 15-13 (0:56)
Match 7: Jennifer Fopma/Kelly Reeves (7) def. Nicole Branagh/Xi Zhang (10) 21-17, 21-14 (0:48)
Match 8: Whitney Pavlik/April Ross (2) def. Bre Moreland/Kerri Schuh (15, Q4) 21-17, 21-14 (0:40)

Round 2
Match 9: Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar (1) def. Caitlin Ledoux/Heather McGuire (9) 22-20, 22-20 (0:51)
Match 10: Lane Carico/Lauren Fendrick (4) def. Kim DiCello/Emily Stockman (5) 23-21, 21-14 (0:44)
Match 11: Betsi Flint/Kelley Larsen (6) def. Angela Bensend/Geena Urango (3) 21-15, 21-14 (0:36)
Match 12: Whitney Pavlik/April Ross (2) def. Jennifer Fopma/Kelly Reeves (7) 21-14, 21-14 (0:39)

Women’s Contender’s Bracket
Round 1
Match 15: Nicole Branagh/Xi Zhang (10) def. Bre Moreland/Kerri Schuh (15, Q4) 21-17, 21-15 (0:41)
Match 16: Karolina Marciniak/Kendra VanZwieten (11) def. Katie Jameson/Tracy Jones (14, Q3) 18-21, 22-20, 15-11 (0:56)
Match 17: Janelle Allen/Briana Hinga (13, Q1) def. Amanda Dowdy/Irene Hester Pollock (12) 21-16, 21-15 (0:41)
Match 18: Alix Klineman/Jace Pardon (16, Q7) def. Sheila Shaw/Brittany Tiegs (8) 19-21, 21-16, 15-11 (0:50)

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