AVP Manhattan Beach Open
- Manhattan Beach Pier; Manhattan Beach, California
- Aug. 16-19, 2018
- Entry List
With only one American team in the FIVB World Tour Finals, the usual suspects are all back in action at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open beginning on Thursday.
Manhattan Beach is the sixth AVP Tour stop of the season and seventh affiliated event including a co-sponsored event with the FIVB in May.
The Nitty Gritty
- 32 Main Draw Teams per Gender, including eight qualifiers
- Qualifying begins August 16
- Champions will be crowned on Sunday with the finals airing live on NBCSN from 4-6:30 p.m. ET.
- Manhattan Beach is part of the AVP Gold Series, which bring elevated points and an increased prize purse ($250,000).
- According to the AVP, Manhattan Beach has been called the Super Bowl of Beach Volleyball.
The Field
Men
- Highlighting the men’s field are two-time 2018 champs and No. 1 overall seed Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (Austin – May 20, New York – June 10).
- Other 2018 AVP tour winners include Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (Seattle, June 24), Ed Ratledge/Roberto Rodriguez (San Francisco, July 8) and Theo Brunner/John Hyden (Hermosa Beach – July 29).
- There are 95 teams listed among the men’s qualifying field.
Women
- The lone team missing from the women’s field is most recent AVP champs, Sara Hughes/Summer Ross, who took the Hermosa Beach title on July 29 and gold in New York on June 10. The pair was selected to the elite 10-team field at the FIVB World Tour Finals.
- Even without Hughes/Ross, the AVP entry list is still a who’s who of the top of the United States women’s beach teams.
- Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar are the two-time defending champions. Hochevar is now teamed up with Kelly Claes as the No. 1 seed, while Day has won two 2018 AVP titles with Betsi Flint (Seattle – June 24, San Francisco – July 8) and the pair checks in at No. 2 in the seeding.
- No. 3 Alix Klineman/April Ross (Austin – May 20) round out the headliners.
- The group will be joined by 69 women’s pairs who will battle for the final eight main draw positions.
Event History
2017
- Men: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena def. Trevor Crabb/Sean Rosenthal for gold
- Women: Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar def. Nicole Branagh/Brandie Wilkerson for gold
2016
- Men: Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson def. Tri Bourne/John Hyden
- Women: Emily Day/Brittany Hochevar def. Lane Carico/Summer Ross
2015
- Men: Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena def. Tri Bourne/John Hyden
- Women: Jennifer Fopma/April Ross def. Nicole Branagh/Jenny Kropp
2014
- Men: Phil Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal def. Theo Brunner/Todd Rogers
- Women: April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings def. Lauren Fendrick/Brooke Sweat
2013
- Men: Matt Fuerbringer/Casey Jennings def. Phil Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal
- Women: Whitney Pavlik/Kerri Walsh Jennings def. Jennifer Fopma/Brooke Sweat
Side Notes
- On Aug. 16 at 3:30 p.m. PT, the AVP will celebrate 59 years of beach volleyball tradition, honoring the past and present with a Walk of Fame Pier ceremony.
- Sunrise Yoga will begin at 6:45 a.m. on August 17 on the AVP Skydeck. RSVP info is here.
- Movie on the Beach: At 6 p.m. on August 17, a free screening of Penguins of Madagascar will take place on stadium court.
- AVPFirst Community Corner: At 10:30 a.m. on August 19, the AVP coaches and pro athletes will introduce beach volleyball to underserved youth and their families.
Leave a Reply