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/ Women's Beach Volleyball
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Photo by: AVP
USC Beach All-American Sara Hughes Claims First AVP Manhattan Beach Open Crown
August 22, 2022 | Women's Beach Volleyball
Four-time USC beach volleyball All-American Sara Hughes won her fourth-career AVP title
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.
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.
On the same weekend that USC great April Ross was recognized with her fourth plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier Walk of Fame for the 2021 championship she won with Alix Klineman, Hughes put her name into the history books (boards). Hughes' MBO win represents the 67th individual Trojan AVP women's win and the 51st event won by at least one female USC athlete all-time. At least one USC alumna has won 37 of the last 57 AVP events since the 2014 season.
All-told, 12 USC beach volleyball players were among the 64-woman main draw of the Manhattan Beach Open. In addition to Hughes, Cheng, Cannon, Kraft, Harward, Scoles, and Urango, Allie Wheeler, Falyn Fonoimoana, Madison Shields, Audrey Nourse, and Nicole Nourse played in the 32-team field.
On the men's side, USC men's volleyball great Tri Bourne repeated as champion with partner Trevor Crabb to collect his second tour win of the season and seventh of his career.
Under third-year head coach Dain Blanton, the USC beach volleyball team captured its fourth NCAA Championship (fifth national title) and fourth Pac-12 crown in 2022. The Women of Troy finished the year ranked No. 1 and had a record of 37-1 with a 36-match win streak intact at the end. USC added four AVCA All-Americans to its history books with the four-time selection of Tina Graudina as well as the third-career honor for Sammy Slater. Graudina was named the Pac-12's Player of the Year a third time and earned Pac-12 and AVCA Pair of the Year honors with partner Hailey Harward, who was also tabbed an AVCA All-American along with sophomore Megan Kraft.
For more information on the USC beach volleyball team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/beach. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCBeach.
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.Sara Hughes and Kelley Kolinske - Forever on the Manhattan Beach Pier! 🏆
— AVP (@avpbeach) August 21, 2022
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
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.
A USC alumna has now won each of the last five AVP events and five of the six major AVP tournaments of the 2022 season. No women's pair has repeated as champion on the tour this summer. Just four weeks ago, four-time USC All-American Tina Graudina (Jurmala, Latvia) and All-American Hailey Harward(Phoenix, Ariz.) won their first-career titles at the Fort Lauderdale Open, which was followed by a first-career win for All-American Julia Scoles (Mooresville, N.C.) and Geena Urango (Los Alamitos, Calif.).That's a wrap on the 2022 Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open. Thank you to the athletes, fans, sponsors, and staff who made this such a special event.
— AVP (@avpbeach) August 22, 2022
Next up: The Gold Series Chicago Open! #AVP2022 #NoHoldingBack pic.twitter.com/560q6RoH2Z
On the same weekend that USC great April Ross was recognized with her fourth plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier Walk of Fame for the 2021 championship she won with Alix Klineman, Hughes put her name into the history books (boards). Hughes' MBO win represents the 67th individual Trojan AVP women's win and the 51st event won by at least one female USC athlete all-time. At least one USC alumna has won 37 of the last 57 AVP events since the 2014 season.
All-told, 12 USC beach volleyball players were among the 64-woman main draw of the Manhattan Beach Open. In addition to Hughes, Cheng, Cannon, Kraft, Harward, Scoles, and Urango, Allie Wheeler, Falyn Fonoimoana, Madison Shields, Audrey Nourse, and Nicole Nourse played in the 32-team field.
On the men's side, USC men's volleyball great Tri Bourne repeated as champion with partner Trevor Crabb to collect his second tour win of the season and seventh of his career.
Under third-year head coach Dain Blanton, the USC beach volleyball team captured its fourth NCAA Championship (fifth national title) and fourth Pac-12 crown in 2022. The Women of Troy finished the year ranked No. 1 and had a record of 37-1 with a 36-match win streak intact at the end. USC added four AVCA All-Americans to its history books with the four-time selection of Tina Graudina as well as the third-career honor for Sammy Slater. Graudina was named the Pac-12's Player of the Year a third time and earned Pac-12 and AVCA Pair of the Year honors with partner Hailey Harward, who was also tabbed an AVCA All-American along with sophomore Megan Kraft.
For more information on the USC beach volleyball team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/beach. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCBeach.
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