International Volleyball

AVP Manhattan Beach Open begins Thursday with qualifier

Taylor Sander-Taylor Crabb

Taylor Sander, left, and Taylor Crabb after winning the 2023 MBO/Will Chu Photography

The four USA Olympics beach volleyball pairs highlight the field at this week’s AVP Manhattan Beach Open.

Miles Partain and Andy Benesh and Chase Budinger and Miles Evans will compete on the men’s side, while Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss and Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes will play on the women’s.

The event begins with a qualifier Thursday.

At 3:30 p.m. the AVP will honor last year’s winners, Betsi Flint, Julia Scoles, Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander, by unveiling their plaques on the Manhattan Beach Pier. They will introduced by Olympic medalists April Ross and Mike Dodd.

Speaking of Ross, she and Tokyo Olympics partner Alix Ross — they won gold in 2021 — are in the women’s field.

They are seeded fifth. The top seed went to Kloth and Nuss, while Cheng and Hughes are the second seed.

The top men’s seed belongs to Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner, while Taylor Crabb and Sander are No. 2. Partain and Benesh are seeded third and Budinger and Evans fifth. The fourth seed went to Cody Caldwell and Seain Cook.

Click here for more about the event on the AVP website.

And click here for TV and streaming information.

AVP MBO qualifer 

Women

Round 1
Shay Piper/Sunny Villapando (Q64) vs. Clover Crenshaw/Zoey Mitchell (Q65)
Danielle Barton-Drews/Melissa Powell (Q60) vs. Anna Donlan/Cierra Simpson (Q69)
Makenzie Griffin/Natalie Steibel (Q61) vs. Jacki Jing/Crystal Meadows (Q68)
Kenzie Brower/Ashley Vincent (Q62) vs. Gabby Walker/Kaylee Young (Q67)
Briana Garcia/Hannah Rable (Q59) vs. April Newcomb/Jaylyn Porras (Q70)
Leah Best/Jade Henderson (Q63) vs. Alauna Soto/Stacy Vorster (Q66)

Round 2
Chloe Loreen/Natalie Robinson (Q1) vs. TBD
Reilly Allred/Kristi Tekavec (Q33) vs. Jenna Colligan/Chloe Hooker (Q32)
Cecilia Agraz/Cassandra Lew (Q17) vs. Melanie Fleig/Emily Reinking (Q48)
Amarie Bremel/Leanna Jadus (Q49) vs. Erica Brok/Regan McGuire (Q16)
Sally Perez/Taylor Wilson (Q9) vs. Elena Eckhardt/Josie Schatz (Q56)
Brooke Rockwell/Madison White (Q41) vs. Parker Bracken/Kaeli Crews (Q24)
Taylor Hagenah/Zoey Henson (Q25) vs. Karynn Garrow/Tanon Rosenthal (Q40)
Victoria Dennis/Agnieszka Pregowska (Q57) vs. Rafaela Biegelmeyer/Alison Denney (Q8)
Katie Spieler/Torrey Van Winden (Q5) vs. TBD
Calla Tufto/Kyra Zaengle (Q37) vs. Brooke Birch/Taylor Slover (Q28)
Mandi Carlino/Hannah Rooks (Q21) vs. Rachael Kramer/Jayelin Lombard (Q44)
Logan Beitler/Natalie Burns (Q53)…

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