Stanford vs Utah WVB 12-13-19 Region Semi

Dear Readers~

On Friday, December 13, 2019 the regional semifinals were on in Stanford, California with Stanford taking on Utah in a game of women's NCAA indoor volleyball. Now it's time to cover that game.

The first set ended at 25-22 with Utah taking that set to start the game. The second game ended at 25-14 with Stanford taking that set and making the overall score tied 1. The third set ended at 25-10 with Stanford taking that set and being up 2 sets to Utah's 1 set. The fourth set ended at 25-12 with Utah taking that set and causing a fifth set to happen. The fifth set ended at 15-11 with Stanford taking that set and beating Utah 3 sets to 2 there in Stanford to move on in the tournament while Utah' season was over.

Now it's time to cover the top athletes of the game. The leader in kills was Stanford's Kathryn Plummer, with 29 kills, while Dani Drews had 18 kills of her own for Utah. The leader in digs was Stanford's Morgan Hentz, with 23, while Kenzie Koerber had 16 digs of her own for Utah. The leader in blocks was Stanford's Madeline Gates, with 14, while Kenzie Koerber had 4 blocks of her own for Utah. The leader in assists was Stanford's Jenna Gray, with 52, while Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres led Utah with 46 assists of her own.

This is Utah's game day photo on their Instagram page. Give them a follow to see their post season events: @utahvolleyball

This is Stanford's game day post on their Instagram page. Don't forget to follow them as they try to win the national championship trophy again: @stanfordwvb

That concludes the game between Stanford and Utah. With Stanford winning that game, the moved on to play Penn State for the region finals. With Utah losing, their season is over. That concludes the latest blog and until next time, Miller out

~J. Miller

UCLA vs Wisconsin WVB 12-6-19 NCAA Round 2

Dear Readers~

On Friday, December 6, 2019 at 4pm Pacific Time in Madison, Wiscon, the UCLA Bruins took on the Wisconsin Badgers as part of the second round of the 2019 NCAA women's indoor volleyball national championship to see who would advance and who's season would end tonight at the conclusion of this game. Now it's time to see how the game went.

The first set ended at 25-18 with Wisconsin taking that first  set. The second set was a little closer at 25-21 with Wisconsin taking that set as well and up 2 sets to UCLA's no sets going into the third. The third set ended at 25-14 with Wisconsin taking that set and beating UCLA 3 sets to none in a sweep of the second round to move on. Wisconsin moves on while UCLA's 2019 season comes to an end there in Madison.

Now it's time to cover the top players. The leader in kills goes to UCLA's Mac May, with 15, while Molly Haggarty led Wisconsin with 14 kills of her own. The leader in digs goes to Mac May of UCLA, with 9, while Tiffany Clark led Wisconsin with 8 digs of her own. The leader in blocks was Wisconsin's Madison Duello, with 7, while Emily Ryan led UCLA with 3 blocks of her own. The leader in assists was Wisconsin's Sydney Hilley, with 38, while Devon Chang led UCLA with 19 assists of her own.

This is UCLA's game day post for the big event. Be sure to follow them on Instagram: @uclawomensvb

This is Wisconsin's game day post for the big event. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram for more: @badgervb

That concludes the game I chose to cover for the second round of play. With UCLA losing, their season is over while Wisconsin advances to take on Texas A&M  for the regional match up with the winner moving on to the regional finals. Until next time, Miller out

~J. Miller

UCF vs FSU WVB 12-5-19 NCAA Round 1

Dear Readers~

On Thursday, December 5, 2019 the first round of the 2019 women's NCAA indoor volleyball national championship happened. The game I chose to cover was the Florida State Seminoles taking on the University of Central Florida Knights. Now it's time to cover the game that took place in Gainesville, Florida, home of the University of Florida Gators, since they're hosting the first and second rounds of the tournament for that region. Now it's time to see how the game went.

The first set ended at 25-19 with UCF taking that set. The second set ended at 25-20 with FSU taking that set. The third set ended at 25-20 with FSU taking that set as well and now being up 2 sets to UCF's 1 set. The fourth set ended at 25-18 with UCF taking that set and causing a fifth set to happen. The fifth set ended at 15-8 with UCF taking that set and beating FSU 3 sets to 2.

Now it's time to cover the top athletes during the game. The athlete that led in kills was FSU's Payton Caffrey, with 25, while McKenna Melville led UCF with 20 kills of her own. The athlete that led in digs was FSU's Taylor Roberts, with 30, while McKenna Melville led UCF with 27 digs of her own. The leader in blocks was a tie at 6 with Taryn Knuth, from FSU, and Lache Harper, from UCF. The leader in assists was UCF's Amber Olson, with 29, while Adrian Ell led FSU with 24 assists of her own.

This is FSU's post for their game day. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @fsuvolleyball for their fun content

This is UCF's game day post they made. Don't forget to follow them for their fun content

With UCF coming out on top, they advance while FSU's season is over after the first round. UCF's next match was against the Florida Gators. That concludes the game between FSU and UCF in a game of women's indoor volleyball. Until next time, Miller out

~J. Miller

California @ Stanford WVB 11-29-19

Dear Readers~

On November 29, 2019 the University of California @ Berkeley's, which I'll just be calling Berkeley for short, volleyball team traveled to Stanford, California to play Stanford's volleyball team. With this being the last game of the regular season, steaks were high with Stanford sitting at 23-4 going into this match while California was sitting at 20-9. Stanford was having a win streak of 10 while Berkeley wasn't so lucky, since they had a losing streak of 5. Now it's time to cover the game.

The first set ended at 25-23 with Berkeley taking that set. The second set ended at 25-13 with Stanford taking that set. The third set ended at 25-19 with Stanford taking that set as well and being up 2 sets to Berkeley's 1 set. The fourth set ended at 25-21 with Stanford taking that set and winning the game 3 sets to Berkeley's 1 set. The last time these two played each other was earlier in the season and Stanford won 3 sets to 1 as well.

The leader in kills goes to Stanford's Auddriana Fitzmorris, with 16, while Preslie Anderson led Berkeley with 13 kills of her own. The leader in digs was Berkeley's Emma Smith, with 21, while Morgan Hentz led Stanford with 20 digs of her own. The leader in blocks was Stanford's Madeline Gates, with 7, while Preslie Anderson had 5 blocks of her own for Berkeley. The leader in assists was Stanford's Jenna Gray, with 46, while Isabel Potter had 23 assists of her own for Berkeley.

Berkeley is ready to take on Stanford. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @calvolleyball

With Stanford being last year's national champions, don't forget to follow them on Instagram to see if they can win it again: @stanfordwvb

That concludes the game between Berkeley and Stanford. With Stanford sitting at 24-4 and Berkeley sitting at 20-10, where do you think each team will fall come the 2019 NCAA selection show for women's indoor volleyball? Until next time, Miller out.

~J. Miller

Texas @ Baylor WVB 11-20-19

Dear Readers~


So on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 the University of Texas women's volleyball team traveled to Waco, Texas to take Baylor on in a game. The game started at 7 pm Central Time and was a tight game.

The first set ended at 25-23 with Baylor taking that set. The second set ended at 25-23 with Baylor taking that set as well. with Baylor already up 2 sets to none, Texas had to step it up for set 3. The third set ended at 25-21 with Texas taking that set, but still behind Baylor's 2 sets. The fourth set ended at 25-23 with Texas taking that set and leading to a 5th set. With each team having 2 sets, the fifth set was intense. In the end, the score was 15-9 with Baylor taking that set and getting revenge on Texas. Texas has a current record of 20-3 while Baylor has a record of 23-1.

Now it's time to cover the top athletes. The leader in kills was Baylor's Yossiana Pressley, with 31, while Logan Eggleston led Texas with 18 kills of her own. The leader in digs was Baylor's Yossiana Pressley, with 24, while Sydney Petersen led Texas with 19 digs of her own. The leader in blocks was Brionne Butler, of Texas, with 8 blocks, while Kora Mcghee led Baylor with 6 blocks of her own. The leader in assists was Baylor's Hannah Lockin with 53 while Jhenna Gabriel led Texas with 45 assists of her own.

 

This is Baylor's #5 Shelly Stafford back to serve. Be sure to follow Baylor over on Instagram: @baylorvball

 

This is #33 for Texas, Logan Eggleston. Be sure to follow Texas over on Instagram: @texasvolleyball

Baylor's next game is at West Virginia on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 5 pm Central Time. The next game for Texas is on Saturday, November 30, 2019 as they hit the road to take on Iowa State. The last time Baylor played West Virginia, Baylor won 3 sets to 1 and the last time Texas played Iowa State, Texas won 3 sets to 1. Baylor has 1 more game after they play West Virginia before it's time for the first and second rounds of the bracket for the 2019 NCAA national finals, so stay tuned when that comes out. To keep up with all things NCAA volleyball, give @ncaavolleyball a follow on Instagram. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

Baylor @ Texas WVB: 10-23-19

Dear Readers~


On October 23, 2019 the Baylor Bears traveled to Austin, Texas to play against the Texas Longhorns in a game of women's NCAA indoor volleyball. With Texas sitting at 12-2 while Baylor is sitting at 16-0, Texas wanted to be the first team to hand Baylor a loss of the season and Baylor wanted to stay as the only undefeated team this season. Now it's time to cover the game.

The first set ended at 25-19 with Texas taking that set. The second set ended at 25-10 with Texas taking that set as well and being up 2 sets to Baylor's none. The third set ended at 25-19 with Texas taking that set as well and not only handing Baylor it's first loss of the season, but also their first loss being a sweep.

Now it's time to cover the leaders in kills, digs, blocks, and assists. The leader in kills was Baylor's Yossiana Pressley, with 18, while Brionne Butler led Texas with 12 kills of her own. The leader in digs goes to Baylor's tara Wulf, with 11, while Micaya White led Texas with 9 digs of her own. The leader in blocks goes to Texas' Brionne Butler, with 8, while Shelly Stafford led Baylor with 3 blocks of her own. The leader in assists goes to Texas' Jhenna Gabriel, with 29, while Hannah Kockin led Baylor with 23 assists of her own.

Don't forget to follow Baylor on Instagram: @baylorvball

Don't forget to follow Texas on Instagram: @texasvolleyball

The next game these two teams play will be agaisnt each other on Wednesday, Novemnber 20th at Baylor. With both teams ranked in the top 5 of AVCA weekly poll, their match up on Wednesday with be a close one. That concludes my first blog of the 2019 NCAA women's indoor volleyball season. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP Hawaii 2019: Semifinals and Finals

Dear Readers~


On September 22, 2019 the final AVP event of the 2019 season came to an end. after six matches making up the semifinals and finals, the AVP season came to an end on the shores of Waikiki Beach. The semifinals paired Alix Klineman with April Ross against Emily Day with Betsi Flint, Melissa Humana-Paredes with Sarah Pavan against Kelly Claes with Sarah Sponcil, Jeremy Casebeer with Chaim Schalk against Taylor Crabb with Jake Gibb, and Theo Brunner with John Hyden against Chase Budinger with Casey Patterson. Now it's time to cover the matches.

Up first is Klineman and Ross against Day and Flint. The first set ended at 21-16 with Day and Flint taking that set. The second set ended at 21-18 with Klineman and Ross taking that set and causing a third set to happen. That third set ended at 15-11 with Klineman and Ross taking that set and advancing to the finals.

Next was Pavan and Humana-Paredes against Claes and Sponcil. The first set ended at 21-19 with Pavan and Humana-Paredes taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Pavan and Humana-Paredes taking that set and moving on to face Klineman and Ross in the finals.

Next was Crabb and Gibb against Casebeer and Schalk. The first set ended at 21-17 with Casebber and Schalk taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Gibb and Crabb taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 17-15 with Crabb and Gibb taking that set and moving on to the finals.

The last semifinal was Brunner and Hyden against Budinger and Patterson. The first set ended at 25-23 with Brunner and Hyden taking that set. The second set ended at 21-18 with Brunner and Hyden taking that set as well and moving on to face Gibb and Crabb in the finals.

The women's final had Pavan and Humana-Paredes against Klineman and Ross. The first set ended at 21-19 with Pavan and Humana-Paredes taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Pavan and Humana-Paredes taking that set as well and winning the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open.

Sarah (right) and Melissa (left) with their trophies after winning the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @sarah_pavan and @melissahumanaparedes

The men's final had Crabb and Gibb against Brunner and Hyden. The first set ended at 21-18 with Brunner and Hyden taking that set. The second set ended at 22-20 with Crabb and Gibb taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 17-15 with Crabb and Gibb taking that set and winning the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open.

Jake Gibb (left) and Taylor Crabb (right) hold up their trophies after winning the stop in Hawaii. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @tcrabbs and @jakesgibb

That concludes all of the blogs covering the 2019 AVP season. Don't forget to check all of them out covering Huntington Beach, Austin, NYC, Seattle, Hermosa, Manhattan, and Chicago. Stay tuned for next time to see what gets covered then. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP Hawaii 2019: Women's Tournament

Dear Readers~


From September 20-22, 2019 was the last stop of the 2019 AVP season taking place on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. In the previous blog, the men's side of the bracket was covered so it's time for the women's side of the bracket to be covered. The two teams I chose was the #3 team of Melissa Humana-Paredes with Sarah Pavan and the #9 ranked team of Caitlin Ledoux with Maria Salgado. Up first is Melissa and Sarah.

Melissa and Sarah played against the #14 ranked team of Kenzie Ponnet and Sheila Shaw to start their first Match in Hawaii. The first set ended at 21-16 with Melissa and Sarah taking that set. The second set ended at 21-13 with Melissa and Sarah taking that set as well and knocking Sheila and Kenzie into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #6 ranked team Karissa Cook and Jace Pardon. The first set ended at 21-12 with Melissa and Sarah taking that set. The second set ended at 21-12 as well with Melissa and Sarah taking that set as well and knocking another team into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #2 ranked team of Emily Day and Betsi Flint. The first set ended at 21-10 with Melissa and Sarah taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Melissa and Sarah taking that set as well and knocking another team into the contender's bracket. Their next game was against the #4 ranked team of Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil. This game was a semifinal match so because of that, this match will be covered in the blog covering the semifinal and final games.

This is Sarah Pavan (left) and Melissa Humana-Paredes (right) holding up their plaques after winnng the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open (that helped get them to Hawaii) Don't forget to follow the pair on Instagram: @sarah_pavan and @melissahumanaparedes

The other women's team I covred is the #9 ranked team of Caitlin and Maria. Their first match was against the #8 ranked team of Kelly Reeves and Terese Cannon. The first set ended at 22-20 with Terese and Kelly take that set. The second set ended at 21-15 with Caitlin and Maria taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended at 15-6 with Kelly and Terese taking that set and knocking Caitlin and Maria into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #16 ranked team of Emily Hartong and Geena Urango. The first set ended at 21-19 with Emily and Geena taking that set. The second set ended at 21-16 with Geena and Emily taking that set and knocking Caitlin and Maria out of the tournament after only two games.

This is Maria (left) and Caitlin (right) after their time playing the previous AVP stop in Chicago. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @Caitlin_ledoux and @mariaclarasalgado

Stay tuned for my next blog covering the semifinals and finals of the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open as well as it being the last blog of the 2019 AVP Season so make sure to check that out. Until next time, Miller out.

For those wondering why I chose to have the #9 ranked team covered after only playing 2 games is because of some news that Caitlin shared on her Instagram. It's some news that no athlete likes to make and no fan wants to hear. The news is that AVP Hawaii was Caitlin's last professional beach volleyball tournament because she retired back in late September, a few days after the Hawaii stop. I sent her a message over on Instagram not long after seeing that post to see how true it was and it turns out that she is retired and no longer plays on the AVP or professional beach volleyball. If you'd like to see what her post beach volleyball life is like, give her a follow over on Instagram: @Caitlin_Ledoux

This was the instagram post with the sad news so check it out to get the full story

I hope you enjoyed the second to last post covering the 2019 AVP season. There's only 1 more blog until the end so be sure to check that out when it comes out next. Until next time, Miller out


~J. Miller

AVP Hawaii 2019: Men's Tournament

Dear Readers~


From September 20-22, 2019 the AVP had their last tournament of 2019. This one was on the beaches of Waikiki in Hawaii. The two men's teams I'll be covering are #10 ranked Avery Drost with Chase Frishman and #4 ranked Jeremy Casebeer with Chaim Schalk. Jeremy and Chaim will be first followed by Chase and Avery.

Jeremy and Chaim's first match was against the #13 ranked team of Sean Rosenthal and Brian Cook, husband of Olympic bronze medalist Kelsey Robinson. The first set endd at 21-17 with Casebeer and Chalk taking that set. The second set ended at 21-16 with Casebeer and Schalk taking that set and knocking Cook and Rosenthal into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #5 ranked team of Tim Bomgren and Troy Field. The first set ended at 21-17 with Jeremy and Chaim taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Jeremy and Chaim taking that set as well and knocking Tim and Troy into the contender's bracket. The pair's third game was against the #1 team of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. The first set ended at 21-18 with Jeremy and Chaim taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Jeremy and Chaim taking that set as well and putting another team into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #2 ranked team of Taylor Crabb and Jake Gibb. Since this game was the semifinals, it will be covered in a later blog. Now it's time to see how Avery and Chase did in Hawaii.

 

Jeremy is on the right and Chaim is on the left. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @shakesbeer and @chaimer

Chase and Avery's first game was against the #7 ranked team of Miles Evans and Ryan Doherty. The first set ended at 21-14 with Doherty and Evans taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Chase and Avery pushing a third set. The third set ended at 15-9 with Doherty and Evans taking that set and moving on while Chase and Avery were put in the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #15 ranked team of Miles Partain and Lev Priima. The first set ended at 21-13 with Chase and Avery taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Chase and Avery taking that set as well and knocking Partain and Priima out of the tournament. Their next match was against the #5 ranked team of Tim Bomgren and Troy Field. The first set ended at 21-18 with Tim and Troy taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Tim and Troy taking that set as well and knocking Chase and Avery out of the tournament.

 

Chase is facing the camera with Avery having his back to the camera. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @averydrost and @chase_frish

That concludes two teams from the men's bracket. Stay tuned for next time when I cover two teams from the women's bracket. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP Chicago 2019: Semifinals and Finals

Dear Readers~


I hoped you liked my blog covering the teams of Bill Kolinske and Eric Beranek along with the team of Kelley Larsen and Emily Stockman. This blog covers how the semifinals and finals of each bracket did. The semifinalists for the men were Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger taking on Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb along with Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena taking on Jeremy Casebeer and Chaim Schalk while the women's semifinals had Alix Klineman and April Ross taking on Sarah Hughes and Brandi Wilkerson along with Emily Day and Betsi Flint taking on Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes.

Up first on the women's side is April and Alix against Sarah Hughes and Brandie Wilkerson. The first set ended at 21-15 with April and Alix taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with April and Alix taking that set as well and moving on to the finals.

Next up was Emily Day and Betsi Flint against Kelly Claes and Sara Sponcil. The first set ended at 22-20 with Kelly and Sara taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Emily and Betsi taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended at 15-7 with Emily and Betsi taking that set and moving to face April and Alix in the finals.

Up first on the men's side is Casey and Chase against Jake and Taylor. The first set ended at 22-20 with Taylor and Jake taking that set. The second set ended at 21-15 with Taylor and Jake taking that set as well and moving on to the finals.

Next up was Phil and Nick against Jeremy and Chaim. The first set ended at 21-15 with Jeremy and Chaim taking that set. The second set ended at 21-15 as well with Phil and Nick taking that set and causing a third set to happen. That third set ended at 16-14 with Phil and Nick taking that set and moving on to face Taylor and Jake in the finals.

In the women's finals it was April and Alix against Emily and Betsi. The first set ended at 21-12 with April and Alix taking that set. The second set ended at 21-15 with April and Alix taking that set as well and becoming the 2019 AVP Chicago Open Champions on the women's side.

 

April Ross (left) and Alix Klineman (right) hold up the trophies they just won at the event. Don't forget to follow the pair on Instagram: @aprilrossbeach and @alixklineman

The final match of the tournament was the men's final of Phil and Nick against Jake and Taylor. The first set ended at 21-19 with Jake and Taylor taking that set. The second set ended at 21-10 with Jake and Taylor taking that set as well and becoming the 2019 AVP Chicago Open champions on the men's side.

 

The men's champions celebrating after the victory. Taylor is in the middle and Jake is in the hat while their coach and Olympic gold medalist, Rich Lambourne, is on the left. Don't forget to follow the three over on Instagram: @tcrabbs, @jakesgibb, and @richyusa

That concludes the blog covering the semifinals and finals of the 2019 AVP Chicago Open. Tune in next week for the blog covering the men's tournament of the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP Chicago 2019: Teams 4 & 13

Dear Readers~


So in my last blog I covered the top teams of Chicago. They were April Ross with Alix Klineman and Casey Patterson with Chase Budinger. This blog will cover #4 on the women's side, Emily Stockman and Kelley Larsen along with #13 on the men's side, Eric Berenak and Bill Kolinske. So in the last blog I also said I would explain why the blogs on Chicago are split up like this, and I will cover that, but first let's see how these two teams did.

Up first is Kelley and Emily. Their first match was against the #20 team of Carly Wopat and Traci Callahan. The first set ended at 21-10 with Emily and Kelley taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Kelley and Emily taking that set as well and knocking Carly and Traci into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil. The first set ended at 21-18 with Kelly and Sarah taking that set. The second set ended at 21-13 with Sarah and Kelly taking that set as well and knocking Emily and Kelley into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #9 ranked team of Kim Hildreth and Sarah Scharmerhorn. The first set ended at 21-14 with Kelley and Emily taking that set. The second set ended at 21-10 with Kelley and Emily taking that set and knocking Sarah and Kim out of the tournament. Their next match was against the #8 team of Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes. The first set ended at 21-19 with Melissa nad Sarah taking that set. The second set ended at 25-23 with Sarah and Melissa taking that set as well and knocking Kelley and Emily out of the tournament. The pair left Chicago with a 7th place finish after having to miss the Manhattan Beach Open for an FIVB event.

Emily (left) and Kelley (right) working on a game plan. If you follow them on Instagram (@kelleylarsen and @estock2) you can find this picture and see what the real caption is. It's totally worth it.

Now it's time to see how the #13 ranked team of Bill and Eric did. Their first match was against the #20 team of Paul Lotman and Miles Partain. The first set eneded at 23-21 with Lotman and Partain taking that set. The second set ended at 21-18 with Kolinske and Beranek taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 15-13 with Lotman and Partain taking that set and knocking Beranek and Kolinske into the contender's bracket after only one match. Their next match was against the #14 ranked team of Riley and Maddison Mckibbin. The first set ended at 23-21 with Riley and Maddison taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Riley and Maddison taking that set as well. After only playing two matches, Bill and Eric got knocked out of the tournament. The pair left Chicago with a 17th place, after making it all the way to the semifinals in Manhattan Beach.

Bill (left) and Eric (right) ready for Chicago. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @billkolinske and @ericberanek_beachvolley

Now you're still probably wondering why I have the #4 team on the women's side and the #13 team on the men's side in the same blog. For those that follow any of these four players, or the AVP, over on isntagram, you'll know the reason. The reason is because Bill and Kelley are dating and at the Chicago Open, Bill got Kelley on the sands of stadium court and he proposed to her and she said yes! That is the reason as to why the Chicago blogs are split up the way they are.

This was the big moment on stadium court. If you follow these two, or the AVP, on Instagram, you've seen this pic before. Bill is right with Kelley on the left. Don't forget to follow the pair on Instagram: @kelleylarsen and @billkolinske

That concludes the latest blog covering the 2019 AVP Chicago Open. Stay tuned for next time when I cover the semifinals and finals of the 2019 AVP Chicago Open. Until next time, Miller out.

~J. Miller

AVP Chicago 2019: #1 Teams

Dear Readers~

From August 30, 2019 to September 1, 2019 the second to last stop of the 2019 AVP season happened in Chicago, Illinois. The blogs covering this stop will be a little different because this blog will have the #1 ranked teams of each gender while the next blog will have the other men's and women's teams I'm covering for this AVP stop. The #1 ranked teams are Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger for the men along with April Ross and Alix Klineman for the women. The first team I'll cover will be Chase and Casey so let's get into this blog for Chicago.

Chase and Casey's first match was aginst #16 ranked Mark Burick and Piotr Marciniak. The first set ended at 21-15 with Chase and Casey taking that set. The second set ended at 21-15 as well with Burick and Marciniak taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 15-9 with Chase and Casey taking that set as well and moving on in the winner's bracket. Their next game was against Casey's partner for the 2018 season, Stafford Slick, and his current partner, Billy Allen. With Casey and Chase ranked #1 while Billy and Stafford were ranked #8, it was an intense match. The first set ended close at 23-21 with Casey and Chase taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Casey and Chase taking that set and knocking Stafford and Billy into the contender's bracket. Casey and Chase's third match of the tournament was against the #20 ranked team of Paul Lotman and Miles Partain. With the winner of this match advancing to the semifinals, the game was itnese. The first set ended at 21-19 with Casey and Chase taking that set. The second set was just as close, ending at 23-21 with Casey and Chase taking that set as well and knocking Lotman and Partain into the contender's bracket. Casey and Chase's next match was against the #2 team of Jake Gibb and Taylor Crabb. With this match being the semifinals, you'll have to wait for the blog covering the semifinals and finals to see who won that match.

Chase (left) and Casey (right) high five between points during their match against Stafford and Billy. Don't forget to follow the pair on Instagram: @caseypatt and @budinger10

Next up is the #1 team on the women's side, April Ross and Alix Klineman. Their first match was against the #16 team of Zana Muno and Chrissy Jones. The first set ended at 21-8 with April and Alix taking that set. The second set ended at 22-20 with April and Alix taking that set as well and knocking Zana and Chrissy into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #8 team of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan. With Sarah and Melissa beating April and Alix for the Manhattan Beach Championship, April and Alix really wanted revenge. the first set ended at 21-8 with April and Alix taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 in favor of April and Alix. That means that the pair knocked the winners of the previous stop into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #5 team of Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil. with the winner automatically moving on to the semifinals, the pressure was on for both teams. The first set ended at 21-10 with April and Alix taking that set. The second set ended at 21-16 with April and Alix taking that set as well and moving on to the semifinals. April and Alix took on Sarah Hughes and Brandie Wilkerson in the semifinals so that game will be in a later blog covering the semifinals and finals of Chicago.

April (left) and Alix (right) celebrate after getting the point to win a match. Don't forget to follow the pair, as well as their coach Jennifer Kessy, on Instagram: @aprilrossbeach, @alixklineman, and @jenniferkessy

Stay tuned for my next blog covering #4 on the women's side, Emily Stockman and Kelley Larsen, as well as #13 on the men's side, Bill Kolinske and Eric Beranek. For those still wondering about why I didn't split the Chicago blogs into Men's and Women's like earlier in the season, you'll have to check out the next blog explaining that. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP MBO 2019: Day 3

Dear Readers~

So August 18, 2019 was Day 3 and Championship Sunday of the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open in Manhattan Beach, California. That day I watched a total of 6 matches, all 6 were on stadium court. They were two matches to get into the semifinals, followed by two of the four semifinals, and lastly, the men's and women's finals. Now it's time to cover the first match.

The first match was Emily Day and Betsi Flint taking on Sarah Hughes and Brandie Wilkerson for a spot in the women's semifinals. The first set ended at 21-12 with Sarah and Brandie taking that set. The second set was closer, ending at 21-16 with Emily and Betsi taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended very close at 17-15 with Brandie and Sarah taking that set and the match to get into the semifinals to take on the 2018 AVP Manhattan Beach Open champions, Alix Klineman and April Ross as well as knocking Emily and Betsi out of the tournament.

Brandie and Sarah are closest to the camera while Emily and Betsi have their faces towards the camera. Don't forget to follow the four over on Instagram: @emday6, @betsiflint, @sarahhughesbeach, and @bvuilleumier

Up next was Trevor Crabb and Reid Priddy against Tim Bomgren and Troy Field for a spot in the men's semifinal. The first set ended at 21-15 with Trevor and Reid taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Tim and Troy taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended at 15-13 with Trevor and Reid taking that set and advancing to the semifinals to take on the 2018 AVP Manhattan Beach Open winners, Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena as well as knocking Troy and Tim out of the tournamnet.

Tim and Troy are facing the camera while Trevor has his back to the camera and Reid is out of frame about to serve. Don't forget to follow the four on Instagram: @timbomgren, @troyfield_beach, @reidpriddy, and @kingcrabb808

Up next was one of the women's semifinal matches. This one had April Ross and Alix Klineman against Brandie Wilkerson and Sarah Hughes. The first set ended at 21-16 with April and Alix taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Sarah and Brandie taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 15-12 with April and Alix taking that set and the match. April and Alix also moved on to the women's finals to play Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes as well as knocking Brandie and Sarah out of the tournament.

April and Alix are on the other side of the net facing the camera while Sarah is on the side closest to the camera while Brandie is out of frame about to serve. Don't forget to follow Sarah and Brandie on Instagram along with April and Alix: @alixklineman and @aprilrossbeach

The next match was one of the men's semifinal matches of Trevor Crabb and Reid Priddy against Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. The first set ended at 21-12 with Reid and Trevor taking that set. The second set ended very close at 23-21 with Reid and Trevor taking that set as well and moving on to the finals as well as knocking the 2018 AVP Manhattan Beach Open champions out of the tournament. Trevor and Reid moved on to the men's finals to play Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger.

Trevor and Reid have their backs to the camera while Phil and Nick are facing the camera on the other side of the net. Don't forget to follow Trevor and Reid as well as Nick and Phil: @phildahausser and @njlucena

Up next was the women's final of April Ross and Alix Klineman against Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan. The first set ended at 28-26 with Melissa and Sarah taking that set. The second set ended at 21-16 with April and Alix taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 16-14 with Sarah and Melissa taking that set and becoming the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open Champions.

April and Alix are closest to the camera (hugging) while Melissa and Sarah are on the other side of the net facing the camera. Don't forget to follow April and Alix, as well as Melissa and Sarah, over on Instagram: @melissahumanaparedes and @sarah_pavan

The last match of the day, and also the tournament, was the men's final of Trevor Crabb and Reid Priddy against Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger. The first set ended at 21-15 with Trevor and Reid taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Trevor and Reid taking that set as well and ending the game after only two sets. By winning both sets, Trevor and Reid became the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open Champions. This was Trevor's first championship win in his 5 year career and the first AVP win of Reid Priddy after he switched from indoor to beach back in 2017.

Reid and Trevor are on the side facing the camera while Chase and Casey are on the side closest to the camera. Don't forget to follow Reid and Trevor, as well as Chase and Casey, over on Instagram: @caseypatt and @budinger10

For those that don't know, the winners of this stop each get a plaque with their name and their partner's name on it that will go on the Manhattan Beach Pier for eternity. The plaque gets put down the day before the 2020Manhattan Beach Open starts but the ones the winners are holding are kept by them and a third is for the pier.

 

This is Sarah Pavan (left) and Melissa Humana-Paredes (right) with their plaques after their match

 

This is Reid Priddy (left) and Trevor Crabb (right) with their plaques after their match

That concludes the blogs covering the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open. I know it's different than normal but I hope y'all still like it. If you'd like to see some of the players I met while I was out there, those pictures are on my Instagram (@jarrodmiller_) Stay tuned for my next blog covering the 2019 AVP Gold Series Championsips in Chicago. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP MBO 2019: Day 2

Dear Readers~

For those that saw my blog covering Day 1 of the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open, you'll know that I had the chance to go out to California and attend the big event back in August. The main draw went from August 16-18, 2019 and I was there all three days attending the big event. In my previous blog I covered the Day 1 games I watched so in this blog I'll be covering the games I watched on Day 2 of the event. Now it's time to get into the big event.

The first game was Chase Budinger and Casey Patterson against Chase Frishman and Avery Drost. The first set ended at 21-14 with Patterson and Budinger taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Frishman and Drost taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended at 16-14 with Patterson and Budinger taking that set and moving on while Drost and Frishman move to the contender's bracket.

Patterson (black shirt) and Budinger (shirtless) are on the other side of the net with Frishman on far left while Drost is back to serve (out of frame) Make sure to follow the four on Instagram: @caseypatt, @budinger10, @chase_frish, and @averydrost

The next game is Emily Day and Betsi Flint taking on Caitlin Ledoux and Maria Salgada. The first set ended at 21-17 with Emily and Betsi taking that set. The second set ended at 21-12 with Emily and Betsi taking that set as well and moving on in the winner's bracket while Maria and Caitlin were sent to the contender's bracket.

Emily (back to camera) and Betsi (face to camera) during their game against Caitlin and Maria. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @emday6, @betsiflint, @mariaclarasalgado, and @Caitlin_Ledoux

The next match is Corinne Quiggle and Amanda Dowdy taking on Alexa Stange and Falyn Fanoimoana. The first set ended at 21-17 with Corinne and Amanda taking that set. The second set ended at 21-12 with Corinne and Amanda taking that set as well. With this match being a contender's match, Amanda and Corinne knocked Alexa and Falyn out of the tournament.

 

Corinne is on the ground diving for the ball while Amanda is running for the save. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @adowdy11 and @corinnequiggle

The next match was Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet against Morgan Martin and Iya Lindahl. The first set ended at 21-16 with Martin and Lindahl taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Martin and Lindahl taking that set as well. With this one being a contender's match, Sheila and Kenzie were done after only one match on Day 2.

Sheila and Kenzie are on the right while Morgan and Iya are on the left. Sheila is the taller one in white while Kenzie is the shorter one in white. Morgan is the taller one in black while Iya is the shorter one. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @Sheilashaw17, @kenzponnet03, @mlmartin42, and @iyalindahl

The next match covers my first time watching a main draw match on stadium court. This game was Emily Day and Betsi Flint against Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan. The first set ended at 25-23 with Sarah and Melissa taking that set. The second set was just as close, ending at 21-19 with Sarah and Melissa taking that set as well and knocking Emily and Betsi into the contender's bracket.

The team on the near side is Emily and Betsi while the team on the far side is Sarah and Melissa. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @emday6, @betsiflint, @sarah_pavan, and @melissahumanaparedes

That concludes my latest blog covering Day 2 of the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open. Stay tuned for next time when Day 3 is covered and don't forget to mark your calendars for September 20-22, 2019 when the AVP ends their season in Hawaii for the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP MBO 2019: Day 1

Dear Readers~


So you're probably wondering why I'm having the first blog of the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open be about Day 1 instead of the men's teams, like my previous AVP blogs have been this season. This is because I was given the chance to go out to Manhattan Beach, California and attend the event in person. The first day of the main draw was Friday, August 16, 2019. That day I watched quite a few matches.

Up first is Nicolette Martin and Kerri Schuh against Tory Peranoagua and Jessica Sykora. The first set ended at 21-15 with Jessica and Tory taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Jessica and Tory taking that set as well and putting Nicolette and Kerri into the contender's bracket after their first match of the tournament.

Kerri is on the left and Nicolette is on the right preparing for their first match. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @nicmartin_vb and @kerrischuh

The game of Betsi Flint and Emily Day taking on Chanti Holroyd and Jenna Beltron is next. The first set ended at 21-14 with Emily and Betsi taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Emily and Betsi taking that set as well and moving on in the winner's bracket.

Emily is on the left and Betsi is on the right. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @emday6 and @betsiflint

The next match is Irene Pollock and Kim Dicello against Carolyn Meister and Katie Lindelow. The first set ended at 21-18 with Kim and Irene taking that set while the second set ended at 21-14, with Kim and Irene taking that set as well and knocking Meister and Lindelow into the contender's bracket.



Kim is on the left and Irene is on the right. They played a killer game so make sure to follow them on Instagram: @irenepollock and @kimdicello

The next game was Ed Ratledge and Rafu Rodriguez against Eric Beraneck and Bill Kolinski. The first set ended at 21-16 with Ed and Rafu taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Ed and Rafu taking that set as well and putting Eric and Bill into the contender's bracket.

Rafu is on the left and Ed is on the right. They had a killer game so be sure to follow them on Instagram: @edratledge and @rafu93

The next match was Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet against Pricilla Piantadosi-Lima and Kim Smith. The first set ended at 21-9 with Sheila and Kenzie taking that set. The second set ended at 23-21 with Sheila and Kenzie taking that set as well and moving on in the winner's bracket.

Sheila is facing the camera while Kenzie has her back to it. Don't forget to follow the pair on Instagram: @sheilashaw17 and @kenzponnet03

The next match is Maddison and Riley Mckibbin taking on Martin Lorenz and Travis Schoonover. The first set ended at 21-16 with Riley and Maddison taking that set. The second set ended at 21-15 with Martin and Travis taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended at 15-8 with Riley and Maddison taking that set and winning the match.

Maddison is in the gray shirt and Riley is shirtless. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @Maddison.mckibbin and @riley_mack4

The next game is Brittany Howard an Molly Turner taking on Irene Pollock and Kim Dicello. The first set ended at 21-18 with Brittany and Molly taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Kim and Irene taking that set. The third set ended at 15-9 with Brittany and Molly taking that set and winning the game.

Brittany is wearing the gray hat while Molly has the black hat. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @britthow and @mollyturner22

The last match of the day was Geena Urango and Emily Hartong taking on Nicolette Martin and Kerri Schuh. The first set ended at 21-14 with Geena and Emily taking that set. The second set ended at 21-18 with Geena and Emily taking that set as well. By beating Nicolette and Kerri, Geena and Emily knocked them out of the tournament after only one day of play.

Emily is on the left and Geena is on the right. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @Urango and @emilyhartong

That concludes Day 1 of the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open. I know it's not the same as my previous ones but I hope y'all still like it. Stay tuned for next time when I cover Day 2 of the event. Don't forget to mark your calendars for the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open when it airs on Amazon Prime September 20-22, 2019. Until next time, Miller out.

~J. Miller

AVP Hermosa 2019: Semifinals/Finals

Dear Readers~


If you read my previous blogs talking about the men's and women's brackets of the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open, then you'll know of a few teams that played in the semifinals. The women's semifinals had #1 ranked Emily Day and Betsi Flint against #24 Zana Muno and Chrissy Jones while the other women's semifinal had #18 ranked Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet against #21 ranked Kathryn Hogan and Megan Rice. The men's two semifinals had #8 ranked David Lee and Sean Rosenthal taking on #10 ranked Ryan Doherty and Miles Evans while the other men's semifinal had #3 Casey Patterson and Chase Budinger taking on #5 ranked Ed Ratledge and Rafu Rodriguez.

The first women's semifinal was #1 against #24. The first set ended at 21-14 with Day and Flint taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Day and Flint taking that set as well and advancing to the finals.

The second women's semifinal was #21 against #18. The first set ended at 21-16 with Hogan and Rice taking that set. The second set ended at 21-18 with Shaw and Ponnet taking that set and causing third set to happen. That third set ended at 15-10 with Hogan and Rice winning that set and moving on to the finals to take on #1 ranked Day and Flint in the finals.

The first men's semifinal was #8 against #10. The first set ended 21-15 with Lee and Rosenthal taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Doherty and Evans taking that set to cause a third set. The third set ended at 16-14 with Doherty and Evans taking that set and advancing to the finals.

The second men's semifinal was #3 against #5. The first set ended at 21-15 with Patterson and Budinger taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Ratledge and Rodriguez taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 15-7 with Patterson and Budinger taking that set and advancing to the finals to take on Doherty and Evans.

The women's finals had #1 against #21. The first set ended at 21-14 with Day and Flint taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Day and Flint taking that set as well and becoming the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open champions after being unable to win the Seattle stop in back to back years.

 

Emily (left) and Betsi (right) smile big wit their trophies for winning the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open and yes the trophies are skateboards. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @betsiflint and @emday6

The men's final had #3 against #10. The first set ended at 25-23 with Patterson and Budinger taking that set. The second set ended at 21-19 with Evans and Doherty taking that set and causing a third set to happen. The third set ended at 15-7 with Budinger and Patterson taking that set and winning the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open on the men's side.

 

Casey (left) and Chase (right) smile big with their 'medals' for winning the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram: @caseypatt and @budinger10

That concludes the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open semifinals and finals blog. Stay tuned when I cover the 2019 AVP Manhattan Beach Open next and don't forget to mark your calendar for the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open from September 20-22, 2019. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller

AVP Hermosa 2019: Women's Tournament

Dear Readers~


For those that saw my previous blog covering the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open, you'll know that the event happened from July 26-28, 2019 in Hermosa Beach, California. In my previous blog I covered the men's side of the bracket which included the #1 ranked team of Tim Bomgren and Troy Field, as well as the #10 ranked team of Ryan Doherty and Miles Evans. This blog will cover the women's side of the bracket. The two teams I chose were #19 ranked Audrey and Nicole Nourse as well as #22 ranked Delaynie Maple and Megan Kraft.

The first team I'll be covering is Audrey and Nicole. Their first game was against #14 ranked Kerri Schuh and Nicolette Martin. That first set ended 21-16 with Audrey and Nicole taking that set. The second set ended at 21-8 with Nicolette and Kerri taking that set and causing a third set. The third set ended at 15-13 with Audrey and Nicole taking that set and knocking Nicolette and Kerri into the contender's bracket. Their next game was against the #3 ranked team of Amanda Dowdy and Corinne Quiggle. The first set ended at 21-19 with Dowdy and Quiggle taking that set. The second set ended at 21-13 with Dowdy and Quiggle taking that set as well and knocking Audrey and Anna into the contender's bracket. Their next game was against the  #20 ranked team of Lauren De Turk and Sasha Karelou. The first set ended at 21-17 with Lauren and Sasha taking that set. The second set ended at 21-14 with Lauren and Sasha taking that set as well and knocking Audrey and Nicole out of the tournament.

Here are Audrey and Nicole Nourse celebrating after a nice play. Give them a follow on Instagram: @audreynourse and @nicolenourse as well as their team Instagram account: @beachvolleyballtwins

The other women's team I'll be covering is Maple and Kraft. They made it into the Hermosa Open ranked #22, not far behind Audrey and Nicole. Maple and Kraft's first match was against the #11 ranked team of Geena Urango and Emily Hartong. The first set ended at 21-17 with Maple and Kraft taking that set. The second set ended at 21-18 with Urango and Hartong taking that set and causing a third set to happen. That third set ended at 15-6 with Kraft and Maple taking that third set and knocking Urango and Hartong into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #6 ranked team of Brittany Howard and Alexa Strange. The first set ended at 21-12 with Kraft and Maple taking that set. The second set ended at 21-13 with Kraft and Maple taking that set as well and knocking the #6 ranked team into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against the #3 ranked team of Dowdy and Quiggle. The first set ended at 21-18 with Kraft and Maple taking that set. The second set ended at 21-11 with Kraft and Maple taking that set and knocking another team into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against #18 ranked team of Sheila Shaw and Kenzie Ponnet. The first set ended at 22-20 with Sheila and Kenzie taking that set. The second set ended at 23-21 with Maple and Kraft taking that set, and leading to a third set. The third set ended at 15-11 with Shaw and Ponnet taking that set and knocking Maple and Kraft into the contender's bracket. Their next match was against #24 ranked Zana Muno and Crissy Jones. The first set ended at 21-17 with Kraft and Maple taking that set. The second set ended at 21-17 with Muno and Jones taking that set, and causing a third set. The third set ended at 16-14 with Muno and Jones taking that set and moving on. Kraft and Maple would leave the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open with a 5th place, up from the 13th place they received just a few months ago at the 2019 AVP Huntington Beach Open. Keep in mind that these two are still in high school and have many more years of playing to compete in.

 Megan (left) and Delaynie (right) are smiling after a victory in Hermosa. Don't forget to follow them on Instagram as they progress on their beach volleyball careers: @delayniemaple and @megan_kraft

That concludes the women's bracket from the 2019 AVP Hermosa Beach Open. Stay tuned for next time when I cover the finals and semifinals of the men and women. If you know how the AVP works then you'll know that had Maple and Kraft won they would be playing in the semifinals but with Jones and Muno beating them, the teenagers won't be in the next blog. Don't forget to mark your calendar for September 20-22, 2019 when the AVP makes it's final stop in Hawaii for the 2019 AVP Hawaii Open. Until next time, Miller out.


~J. Miller