{"id":322824,"date":"2026-08-17T02:06:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T02:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/322824\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T02:06:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T02:06:51","slug":"avp-manhattan-beach-open-taryn-brasher-kristen-cruz-capture-3rd-straight-title-daily-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/322824\/","title":{"rendered":"AVP Manhattan Beach Open: Taryn Brasher, Kristen Cruz capture 3rd straight title \u2013 Daily News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taryn<\/p>\n

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz win against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taryn<\/p>\n

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz win against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst in the AVP men\u2019s Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taylor<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Megan<\/p>\n

Megan Kraft digs for the ball with Kelley Chang against Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taryn<\/p>\n

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz win against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taryn<\/p>\n

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taryn<\/p>\n

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz win against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Taryn<\/p>\n

Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz win against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Kelly<\/p>\n

Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft play against Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 22<\/p>\n

Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open championship game on Sunday August 16, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

MANHATTAN BEACH \u2014 The top remaining seeds left no doubt Sunday at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open.<\/p>\n

No. 1 seed Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz completed a three-peat with a 21-18, 21-16 victory over Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the women\u2019s championship, while No. 2-seeded Andy Benesh and Taylor Crabb rolled past Gage Basey and Thomas Hurst 21-14, 21-13 to claim the men\u2019s title.<\/p>\n

Both pairs went 6-0 over the three-day AVP Heritage Major, neither dropping a set.<\/p>\n

Brasher and Cruz are now 18-0 in the Manhattan Beach Open, having only competed in the event in the three years they\u2019ve won.<\/p>\n

Crabb is now a two-time champion of the Open, previously winning alongside Taylor Sander \u2014 who was in the stands Sunday \u2014 in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was super lucky to have Taylor on my side,\u201d Benesh said. \u201cHe\u2019s already been through it and he knew how to get it done and he played freaking unbelievable in that final. Just absolutely took over and dominated the match. So, super happy with how we performed and how we competed as a team and looking forward to keeping it going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Directly after the match, Benesh told AVP emcee Mark Schuermann \u2014 and the crowd \u2014 he thinks Crabb is the best volleyball player in the world.<\/p>\n

Benesh won the Manhattan Beach Open for the first time, previously appearing in the tournament final alongside Miles Partain in 2024.<\/p>\n

Cheng and Kraft reached the women\u2019s final with a 21-13, 21-10 semifinal victory over No. 12 seed Madelyne May Anderson and Alaina Chacon.<\/p>\n

Kraft lost to Brasher and Cruz in last year\u2019s final and suffered the same fate despite changing partners.<\/p>\n

Cheng moved to 0-3 in the Open\u2019s title match, previously falling short in 2018 and 2022.<\/p>\n

Brasher and Cruz reached the championship with a 21-17, 23-21 semifinal victory over No. 14 seed Torrey Van Winden and Abby Van Winkle.<\/p>\n

On the men\u2019s side, No. 12 seed Basey and Hurst \u2014 who brand themselves the Colorado Cupcakes \u2014 outlasted No. 6 seed Partain and Paul Lotman 22-20, 15-21, 15-13 in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of those opportunities they got in the third were on us,\u201d Hurst said. \u201cIt feels really bad in the moment, but remembering that, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re in control of this. We can stop these points and we can execute.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

But Benesh and Crabb laid waste to the sweet treats in favor of champagne, 21-14, 21-13.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got up on them early both sets,\u201d Benesh said. \u201cThey were kind of in that position where it was like, \u2018All right we\u2019re happy to be here,\u2019 and obviously they want to win too but they had nothing to lose and they played like it. They served really well and I was just super happy we were able to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lotman played with his right shoulder taped for the second day in a row after reaggravating a shoulder injury in his first match Saturday.<\/p>\n

The dessert-themed moniker is the pair\u2019s attempt at starting the Savannah Bananas of men\u2019s volleyball. The Bananas added choreographed dances, trick shots, props and more to create a more entertaining variant of baseball they call Bananaball.<\/p>\n

Partain has previously expressed interest in starting a beach volleyball version of the Bananas himself, adding that he\u2019d like to make a volleyball career that\u2019s more focused on fan entertainment and enjoyment playing the sport than purely wins and losses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was talking to him in the tent before, I was like, \u2018Once I get it going, I\u2019ll bring you into it,\u2019\u201d Basey said. \u201cIt would be like a celebrity appearance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s winners seemed to suggest that victory isn\u2019t sweet; it\u2019s tasteless.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even know if I tasted it,\u201d Cruz said, despite the pair\u2019s celebration including Brasher pouring the celebratory champagne in her teammate\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n

Benesh added: \u201cI don\u2019t really (know), I kind of black out in the moment. We\u2019re just trying to chug it as fast as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh win against Kelly Chang and Megan Kraft in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322825,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[74126,68184,2136,9966,75,84,83,9,24,63,319,1339],"class_list":["post-322824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-avp","tag-beach-volleyball","tag-california","tag-los-angeles-county","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-sports","tag-volleyball"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}