5th Place Matches
Play began early at 8:15 on a clear and sunny Sunday morning. In the 5th place matches, Fuerbringer/Jennings were eliminated in a heart-breaking loss to Olson/Wong in the third game (14-21, 21-17, 15-13). It was hard for me to cheer for either side, really, as I wanted them both to advance into the semis. Gibb/Rosenthal played to an enthsiastic crowd owing to Rosie's Raiders who were out here in full force. They took Hyden/Scott in a well-fought three games (13-21, 21-17, 15-12).
In the women's match-ups, Team Gorgeous lost to Hanson/Rutledge on center court, as did DeNecochea/Dodd to Lima/Minello. As a small consolation, we surprised Carrie Dodd with dark chocolates from Paris, which only she could appreciate foodie that she is.
Semi-finals
Team B.Y. (Branagh/Youngs) advanced to the finals after beating Lima/Minello (17-18) as Branagh kept hammering away with her jump serves all game long. Meanwhile Davis/Johnson-Jordan defeated Hanson/Rutledge in a quick 46 minute match (11-19). I caught up with JJJ (Jenny Johnson-Jordan) while she was trying to change flight reservations to Boulder.
It's funny how some athletes behave before the championship final. Some keep to themselves trying to stay focused and conserve energy. Others chat with friends and family and are more easy going. Mostly the routines consist of refueling (eating and getting fluids in you) and maintenance (physical therapy, etc.)
On the men's side, both matches were a battle of wills as points see-sawed back and forth. Gibb/Rosie (3) def. Keenan/Lucena (8) 16-21, 21-14, 15-13 in a 67 minute contest. On center court, Olson/Wong (5) def. Dalhausser/Rogers (2) 21-19, 21-23, 15-10, with game match point won when Phil served out. Tough beat guys.
Having Gibb/Rosie and Olson/Wong advancing to the finals meant that a new team will join the ranks of the legends in having their names forever etched in bronze on the pier at Manhattan Beach. Karch has 10 of these and as Tim Hovland said Thursday night, Unless you've got a couple of these, you're nobody. The volleyball community really considers this the oldest and most prestigious final to win. For so many decades, the Olympics was never an option until the 1996 Atlanta games.
Six-man Exhibition/Legends Game
This year, the AVP is bringing back tradition and getting in touch with its roots. Perhaps it has something to do with a new management team that has been brought in during the off-season. The traditions featured included a semi-final and finals exhibition match-up of four Six-man teams, which as you will see in the photos really just means only six men are permitted on the court at a time. Plenty of others are standing at the back of the court cheering and jumping the adumu in
Maasai fashion.
On court 2, Team Kinda Good def. Team Smack while on court 4, Memphis Cafe def. Team Fletch to meet up in the exhibition finals, which gave a chance for casual fans of the sport to experience the mayhem associated with Six-Man, which will take place August 1-2.
Another tradition featured at Six-Man brings back the elite athletes from the 60's, 70's, 80's and (I suppose) 90's back to the beach. During Six-Man, it is typically scheduled on court 20-ish on the east side so that the youngsters don't get under foot. The Legends Game matched-up the North Side vs. the South Side. Unfortunately I wasn't able to catch much of it. I snuck out of the players tent for a few minutes to catch some of the action. For those keeping track, the South Side won.
Women's Final
At 3 p.m. and broadcasting live on KTLA, Branagh/Youngs competed against Davis/Johnson-Jordan to a capacity crowd in the stadium. Play-by-play coverage was supplied by twitter updates, the first time the AVP has done this to supply fans and followers around the world with scoring news.
- BALL HIT OUT!!! NB/EY win their first MB Open as a team and Nicole's first overall!! Get that plaque ready!about 14 hours ago from web
- MATCH POINT!about 14 hours ago from web
- JOUST! Branagh wins... she can taste that plaque... up 18-11.about 14 hours ago from web
- Netty with a huge dig! But Branagh gets the second chance, and uses it... 16-10.about 14 hours ago from web
- Branagh block!! Up 14-9 now and firing on all cylinders!about 14 hours ago from web
- JJJ goes cross court but just out... NB/EY up 11-8 now.about 14 hours ago from web
- Nicole is pumped!! Big block for a 9-7 lead!about 14 hours ago from web
- Limes everywhere!!! The Bud Light girls take to the court to provide everyone who can catch with a prize from Bud Light Lime!about 14 hours ago from web
- EY serves it into the tape... 6-4 Jenny and Annett.about 14 hours ago from web
- How 'bout another block? 5-3.about 14 hours ago from web
- HUGE Netty block!! The duo from UCLA takes the lead, 4-3.about 14 hours ago from web
- Kerri Walsh is in the announcers' booth as we speak... can't wait to see her in Hermosa!about 14 hours ago from web
- Block by EY (and some of the tape) to take game one, 21-17!!about 14 hours ago from web
- Cutty. Game point, NB/EY! Clap. Clap. Clap...about 14 hours ago from web
- Diving set by JJJ!! 19-17 NB/EY.about 14 hours ago from web
- HEY! Netty over on two... get it to 18-16!about 14 hours ago from web
- Netty block... 18-15 NB/EY.about 14 hours ago from web
- WHAT A RALLY! Punctuated by an Annett ROOF! 17-14!about 14 hours ago from web
- That is a veteran!! Jenny bumps it to the back corner on two, down 17-13 now.about 14 hours ago from web
- NB/EY get another one... now up 16-11.about 14 hours ago from web
- We've got one of the best Malibu ring tosses I've ever seen on Stadium!! Some guy just made like 8 in a row... someone call Guinness!!about 14 hours ago from web
- EY dig then kill!! They take the lead, 11-10. EY ace, 12-10!about 14 hours ago from web
- WE've got a see-saw affair here... 9s.about 14 hours ago from web
- All knotted up at 7... TO on the sand.about 14 hours ago from web
- GREAT rally... NB/EY go up 6-5.about 14 hours ago from web
- EY stops the JJJ/Annett rally, tied at 5 now.about 14 hours ago from web
- Huge Jenny dig to Annett over on two... point. Tied at 4!about 14 hours ago from web
- Annett with a little cut to the right, pull to 4-3.about 14 hours ago from web
- NB/EY making a statement right away! NB kill, EY block, 2-0.about 14 hours ago from web
- Plaaaaaaaaaaaaay baaaaaaaaaaaal!about 14 hours ago from web
The B.Y. win is the 6th win this season for the pair and the first Manhattan Beach Open win for Nicole and the second for Elaine, who last won in 2004 with Holly McPeak.
Men's Final
The men's match up got started at 4:30 p.m. with Gibb/Rosenthal competing against Olson/Wong. Here's the play-by-play twitter updates from AVPManhattan in reverse chronological order, naturally. Good job, Matt!
- Rosie kill! Game! Match! Gibb and Rosie win their first MB Open as a team!!!about 12 hours ago from web
- Rosie kill! Ad Gibb/Rosie!about 12 hours ago from web
- Olson kills, Rosie touches it but up into the Raiders in the stands... back to deuce.about 12 hours ago from web
- Gibb knocks it down the line... another match point!about 12 hours ago from web
- Olson nails it cross court off Rosie... all knotted up at 20.about 12 hours ago from web
- MATCH POINT!!about 12 hours ago from web
- Rosie hits it out! Tie ball game!about 12 hours ago from web
- T.O. on the court, Gibb/Rosie give up a couple... now just up 19-18 after a Wong ace.about 12 hours ago from web
- Rosie flies, cuts and gets one point closer... 19-16!about 12 hours ago from web
- Rosie kill, "hittin' 'em where they ain't." 18-15 Gibb and Rosie.about 12 hours ago from web
- Olson and Wong call timeout on Stadium... they're down a game and 14-11.about 12 hours ago from web
- Also, NB and EY are now 42-2 in matches on the AVP Crocs Tour this year, their only two losses coming in finals.about 12 hours ago from web
- According to our crack stats team, EY had been in eight of the last nine Manhattan finals... with FIVE different partners.about 12 hours ago from web
- Gibb with the juicy back set... Rosie pats it cross court, G/R up 9-7.about 12 hours ago from web
- Gibb block! That. Was. Nasty. 6-4, Gibb/Rosie.about 13 hours ago from web
- Nobody should be able to hit angles like that! Rosie WAY cross court for the kill! 2s.about 13 hours ago from web
- DID YOU KNOW? Jake Gibb, the 6-foot-7 kid from Utah, is fluent in Spanish.about 13 hours ago from web
- The kid with the broken wing won the chicken dance on Stadium... I think he deserved it.about 13 hours ago from web
- Rosie diving dig then stretches and swings for the kill... game one in the books! Gibb/Rosie, 21-17.about 13 hours ago from web
- Gibb goes way high for the kill... 19-16 Gibb/Rosie. Rosie doesn't have a plaque, Gibb does, 2005 with Stein.about 13 hours ago from web
- The Rosie's Raiders are getting louder... that means Rosie's heating up! 18-14 Gibb/Rosie!about 13 hours ago from web
- WHAT!?! If there were a 10-foot line in the sand, that would have been about 4 feet inside of it! No wonder they call him the Son of Jor-El!about 13 hours ago from web
- What a rally!! Just dig after dig after dig!!! Rosie finally puts it away cross court... 14-12 Gibb and Rosie.about 13 hours ago from web
- We got another good one on Stadium!! 10s! For point by point, follow @avpbeach.about 13 hours ago from web
- The men are rolling along... game one tied at 5.about 13 hours ago from web
Final results: Gibb/Rosenthal def. Olson/Wong (17-21).
Punchlines
I have a concern... well actually several... I have several concerns about the state of your... ...donkey. His performance on the Burro Show last night wasn't up to par.
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