Women’s Beach Volleyball | August 22, 2022
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – Four-time USC beach volleyball All-American Sara Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif.) claimed the fourth AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) championship and the first Manhattan Beach Open title of her career on Sunday, Aug. 21. Hughes partnered with Kelley Kolinkse (Pepperdine/San Diego, Calif.) for the pair’s second pro victory after the duo won an FIVB championship in Itapema, Brazil, in April.
Sara Hughes and Kelley Kolinske – Forever on the Manhattan Beach Pier! 🏆
The dynamic duo rallied for 5 points in a row – winning their first AVP event together – the Granddaddy of Them All! @SaraHughesBeach @KelleyJLarsen #AVP2022 #NoHoldingBack pic.twitter.com/4SSuDHbzBe
— AVP (@avpbeach) August 21, 2022
Hughes and Kolinske gutted out their only three-set match of the weekend and used an incredible run to claim a hard-fought 21-18, 11-21, 15-13 win over three-time USC All-American Kelly Cheng (Fullerton, Calif.) and partner Betsi Flint in the championship match. Hughes-Kolinske, paired for the fifth time in an AVP tournament, broke through for their first appearance in a final together and sealed the deal for their first tour victory. They previously had three third-place finishes and one fifth-place finish.
As the second-seeded pair, Hughes and Kolinske opened their tourney run with a 21-14, 21-11 victory over Maria Clara Salgado and Abby Van Winkle. They then advanced through the second round with a 21-16, 21-19 win against Delaney Mewhirter and Kelly Reeves; and pushed through the third round on a 21-15, 22-20 win over Sarah Pavan and Mackenzie Ponnet.
Hughes-Kolinske took a loss in their fourth match, 21-16, 21-13, to the third-seeded pair of Cheng and Flint. In the contender’s bracket, Hughes and Kolinske eliminated the upstart 13th-seeded pair of USC All-American Megan Kraft (San Diego, Calif.) and Emily Stockman (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 21-15, 21-13, to return to the winner’s bracket semifinal. There, they took down the top overall seed of USC All-American Terese Cannon (Pittsford, N.Y.) and Sarah Sponcil, 21-19, 21-18, to earn a rematch with Cheng and Flint in the title match.
That’s a wrap on the 2022 Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open. Thank you to the athletes, fans, sponsors, and staff who…
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