MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA — The AVP Manhattan Beach Open concluded with standout performances as Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss claimed the women’s title and Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner captured the men’s championship.
Both winning pairs have secured their places in the 2024 AVP League, which launches Sept. 14.
Just one week after their return from the Paris Olympics, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss captured their first-ever Manhattan Beach Open title with a gripping 18-21, 21-17, 15-9 victory over the defending champions, Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles.
“It’s been a tough week and a half, especially just with travel, but we obviously love this sport, so it was just coming back out here,” said Nuss. “This is the most iconic tournament, so getting the opportunity to come out and compete, we couldn’t miss it, and to now be walking away with this (the plaque), it means that much more.”
The win came after an impressive opening Sunday morning, where they defeated eighth-seeded Toni Rodriguez and Geena Urango in straight sets, 21-17, 21-14.
“Kristen does not let the ball touch the ground, and you can just tell that she has so much hustle in her and so much fight,” remarked Kloth. “She inspires me and makes me want to work even harder. We’ve been in tough situations before, and we just trust the process and our training when we are in those tight situations. We just focus on the single point at a time.”
Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner emerged victorious at the prestigious AVP Manhattan Beach Open, capping off an exhilarating final day of competition. With this win, Crabb adds his fourth Manhattan Beach Open plaque to the iconic Pier, while Brunner secures his first.
“I don’t know what to say, but I think this might be the best of my four MBO wins. I’m just happy for my guy to get on the pier. This tournament is so hard to win, and this is redemption for us. We should have been at the Olympics. We think we’re the best, and we’re just trying to prove it,” Crabb said.
The championship match saw Crabb and Brunner deliver a commanding performance, defeating the team of Andy Benesh and Miles Partain, the 2024 Olympians, with scores of 21-18, 21-18. Earlier in the day, Crabb and Brunner faced a grueling semifinal, overcoming defending champions Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander in a thrilling three-set encounter, 21-18, 19-21, 15-11, a match that has been dubbed the “Crabb Boil.”
Brunner shared his thoughts heading into the tournament after the challenging year he and Crabb faced:
“Realistically, I was looking at this as my last chance to play serious volleyball, but who knows. If we keep dominating, I might keep playing. This is the last chance I’m going to have with a great partner and a great opportunity, so it’s now or never.”
Crabb reflected on the momentous win, saying, “I think this is the best tournament in the world ever. The atmosphere feels iconic here with everyone. You just can’t beat this.” The victory is a testament to their resilience in the face of adversity.
In addition to their tournament victories, both Kloth/Nuss and Brunner/Crabb have earned automatic eligibility for the 2024 AVP League Draft.
The AVP League will feature eight teams representing cities including Austin, Brooklyn, Dallas, LA, Miami, New York, Palm Beach, and San Diego. Each team will consist of one men’s and one women’s pair, with two reserve players available for each event if needed.
The season comprises nine events: eight regular-season tournaments and one championship event. Each event spans two days, with teams playing four of the eight regular-season weekends. Matches are played best two out of three sets, with seeding points awarded based on match outcomes.
The top four teams based on accumulated points will advance to the AVP League Championship, a bracket-style tournament where teams progress based on points and game performance.
The AVP Manhattan Beach Open featured 32-team women’s and men’s fields competing in a double-elimination bracket across ten courts from Friday through Sunday.
Each gender’s bracket consisted of 16 teams automatically entered based on the AVP ranking points, four teams from the Denver Open Contender Event, four teams from the Waupaca Contender Event, and eight teams who earned entry through Thursday’s qualifier.
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