Scenes from AVP Manhattan Beach Open

SI Staff | Aug 18, 2014

Scenes from AVP Manhattan Beach Open /

Scenes from AVP Manhattan Beach Open

The weekend weather was perfect for the Grand Daddy of all beach volleyball tournaments…..The Manhattan Beach Open presented by smart. Kerri Walsh Jennings fired up and winning a point in the semis.

One of Brooke Sweat's 101 digs.

Phil Dalhausser and Sean Rosenthal scrap for a point.

Summer Ross does all she can to keep the play alive. Emily Day circles in to help.

Brooke Sweat and Lauren Fendrick scrapped all weekend to reach the finals.

Kerri Walsh Jennings spikes her way to an undefeated weekend the Open championship with April Ross.

Branagan Fuller. Finished 13th. Had 17 digs, 28 kills and six aces.

Ali Daley had 60 kills in 121 attacks and finished 17th with partner Brit Hochevar.

Jess Gysin couldn't quite reach this ball.

Sheila Shaw. She finished ninth.

Nick Lucena with a spike en route to a ninth place finish with partner Ryan Doherty.

Casey Patterson played with his usual fire but failed to make the semis this week after winning last week's tournament in Salt Lake City.

Trevor Crabb's flipper is rejected by Jake Gibb. Crabb and Billy Allen upset last weeks champs in two games: 21-18 and 21-19.

Derek Olson celebrates.

Hawk Hatcher and partner Clay Paullin scrambled through the qualifier to finish 13th.

Sean Rosenthal lays flat out for a dig….One of 60 for him.

Jake Gibb (shown here digging) and Casey Patterson sputtered to a seventh place finish.

Win or lose, Casey Patterson never fails to entertain.

Christal Engle, shown here digging, and partner Sarah Day ended up in the seventh spot.

The main draw sported more teams than usual for the biggest tournament of the year.

Emily Day tries to put one past April Ross in the women's semi.

Kerri Walsh Jennings with a big block on Summer Ross. Jennings/Ross won the match in three…22-24, 21-15 and 15-8.

Kerri celebrates a block of Summer Ross for a point in the semis. She had the third best block average (.93%) on the women's side.

Kerri taps one over the reach of Summer Ross.

April Ross readies to dig a Summer Ross spike in the women's semi final on Sunday. April led all women with 101 digs.

Brooke Sweat's 101 digs for the tournament tied her for the most with April Ross.

Kerri Walsh Jennings signals the play for partner/server April Ross.

April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings will split $13k after their Open victory.

April Ross with a drive in the women's semi.

Kerri Walsh Jennings had 94 kills for the weekend.

The stadium court and the Manhattan Beach Pier under a flawless Southern California sky. The largest AVP crowd of the year soak it all in.

Lauren Fendrick (L) tries to stop Kerri Walsh Jennings during the final. Fendrick/Sweat ended up forfeiting the final match due to an injury to Sweat.

Lauren Fendrick with a spike in front of a monster crowd during the women's final.

April Ross with one of her 97 kills for the weekend.

A birds eye view of the action during the women's final.

Casey Jennings (L) and wife Kerri Walsh Jennings celebrate her Open championship with their kids.

Singin Smith shows a little of the old form during the legends match. Singin was the first player to record 100 Open victories on the AVP tour.

Sean Rosenthal served up nine aces over the weekend.

Todd Rogers finds out just how hard it is to get it past the long arms of Phil Dalhausser.

Sean Rosenthal recorded sixty digs during the tournament.

Big Phil Dalhauser could almost spike that bird.

Sean Rosenthal with one of his 143 attacks. Theo Brunner defends in the men's final.

Sean Rosenthal pretty happy to split $13k and rack up 750 AVP points….win the Open and add his plaque to the pier next year.

Women's Open champs April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

Men's champs Sean Rosenthal and Phil Dalhausser.

Published Aug 18, 2014

SI STAFF