Watch 2018 AVP Gold Series // Manhattan Beach Open – Pro Beach Volleyball

The 2018 AVP Gold Series // Manhattan Beach Open brought together the world's top professional beach volleyball players for a weekend of intense competition on the iconic Southern California beach. With a purse of $300,000 at stake, the biggest names in the sport battled it out for bragging rights and a chance to add a Manhattan Beach Open title to their resume.

The event kicked off with pool play, where teams were divided into groups of four and played a round-robin format. The top two teams from each pool advanced to the single-elimination main draw, while the third-place teams moved on to a consolation bracket. The top seeds in each pool were Olympic gold medalist Phil Dalhausser and his partner Nick Lucena, and AVP Champions Cup winners Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb.

As the weekend progressed, the crowds grew larger and the matches more intense. In the women's bracket, Olympians and AVP regulars April Ross and Alix Klineman coasted through their pool play matches, dropping only one set along the way. Meanwhile, a new team in Emily Day and Brittany Hochevar turned heads with their strong play and advanced to the main draw as the second-place team in their pool. On the men's side, the top-seeded teams all advanced to the main draw, including Dalhausser/Lucena, Gibb/Crabb, and rising stars Chase Budinger and Casey Patterson.

As the single-elimination main draw began, the level of play ratcheted up even more. The top teams in each bracket faced off against each other, with no room for error. In the women's bracket, Ross and Klineman faced off against Day and Hochevar in the quarterfinals, with the veteran duo coming out on top in a tightly contested match. In the semifinals, Ross and Klineman faced the surprise team of the tournament, Delaney Knudsen and Jessica Sykora, who had upset the second-seeded team in their bracket. Despite a strong effort from Knudsen and Sykora, Ross and Klineman advanced to the finals with a straight-set victory.

On the men's side, the quarterfinals saw some heated battles, including a matchup between Dalhausser/Lucena and fellow Americans Billy Allen and Ryan Doherty. In the end, the top-seeded team emerged victorious, setting up a semifinal showdown against Budinger and Patterson. In the other bracket, Gibb and Crabb advanced to the semifinals with a convincing win over Jeremy Casebeer and Reid Priddy. With four of the top teams in the world battling it out for a spot in the finals, the semifinals did not disappoint. Both matches went to three sets, with Dalhausser/Lucena and Gibb/Crabb emerging victorious and setting up an epic showdown in the finals.

As the sun began to set on Manhattan Beach, the stage was set for the championship matches. In the women's final, Ross and Klineman faced off against Heather Hughes and Sarah Sponcil, who had upset Knudsen and Sykora in their semifinal match. The two teams battled it out in a back-and-forth match that saw numerous lead changes and long rallies. But in the end, Ross and Klineman prevailed, winning their second AVP tournament of the season and cementing their status as the top team in the country.

In the men's final, Dalhausser and Lucena faced off against Gibb and Crabb in a match that had all the makings of a classic. The two teams had split their previous two matches of the season, with each team winning in straight sets. But in front of a packed house on Manhattan Beach, it was Dalhausser and Lucena who emerged victorious, winning the championship in two sets and avenging their loss to Gibb and Crabb in the final of the AVP Champions Cup earlier in the year.

Overall, the 2018 AVP Gold Series // Manhattan Beach Open was a huge success, featuring some of the best beach volleyball in the world and showcasing the sport's top talents. With the AVP schedule expanding each year and the level of competition getting higher and higher, there's no telling what kind of excitement the future holds for pro beach volleyball.