The 2022 Hermosa Beach Open was back this past weekend after two years off and it had the fans buzzing. The crowd in the main arena were cheering with homemade signs and memorable chants. The event was located right along the Hermosa Beach pier and its locals strolled through all weekend.
Opening Day
The pro series tournament had two brackets consisting of 16 teams, one for men and one for women. Opening day lived up to the hype and delivered some incredible matchups. The competitive fire was in the air among some of the players.
On the men’s side, No. 16 seed partners Smith and Dietrich were the initial team to look out for in this tournament. They knocked off the No. 1 seed team Tr. Crabb and Bourne, easily being the match of the day – this is as competitive as it gets – an all out war for over 45 minutes.
“To say there wasn’t jitters and butterflies, just super intense, I’d be lying,” said Hagen Smith after the win over Tr. Crabb and Bourne. “After I settled in on that first game it felt like butter, it was awesome.”
A common theme for the players and locals was everyone was glad to be back. Smith, being a local from Pacific Palisades, was excited to have his friends in attendance, “ I have my ace Friday crew hanging out and it’s good to hear their voices and know they got my back.”
The teammates had a dominant first day and seemed to be the team to watch after knocking off the No. 1 seed. Unfortunately, they were eliminated on Day 2.
Opening day out in Hermosa was a glimpse of what the entire weekend had to offer. Each match was a display of great athleticism and competition.
Cheng/Flint
For the women, No. 2 seed partners Kelly Cheng and Betsi Flint made their way through tough opposition in the No. 15 seed team and the No. 7 seed team. A brilliant outing on day one to kick start the recent team up and start the tournament out strong.
Teammates Cheng and Flint carried that momentum all the way to the final. Each game they played was just as exciting as the last. Being the No. 2 seed they lived up to the expectations and offered the fans some competitive beach volleyball.
The Final Winners
Cheng and Flint got shut out in the final by teammates and No. 1 seed Sarah Spocil and Terese Cannon. Cannon and Sponcil swept the first two sets to win the AVP Hermosa Title and did so with some aggressive plays and blocks. A truly dominant performance by the Olympian, Sponcil.
It was a well-deserved win for their first AVP title.
Sharing the same coach, in fact, the men’s duo and No. 2 seed Theo Brunner and Chaim Schalk won their first tournament as partners since teaming up last year. The teammates battled back on the final day needing to close out the win. The duo dominated the third set finishing with a 15-9 score.
In the post-game interview, Brunner mentions the conversations in between sets with his team. “Whatever happens, we build as a team and care about what is happening in the match, if you keep focused on that it will turn your way.”
If you missed the coverage of the AVP Hermosa Beach Open, the next Tournament takes place July 29-31 and can be found on AVP Beach Volleyball on Youtube or @AVPbeach on instagram.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.