Seashore
December 27, 2023
HERMOSA BEACH, California — It’s time once more to take a listing of a few of our greatest, most in-depth and intriguing work from the 2023 seaside volleyball season. From largely unknowns who overcame most cancers and have become an AVP champion to veterans and World Champions who’re after one thing no medal can satiate — peace — our tales ranged far and huge.
Rooster farmers?
We had that.
Lengthy-awaited Manhattan Seashore Open winners?
These, too.
The exceptionally uncommon husband-wife-coach-player dynamic? Completed, with Kelly and Jordan Cheng. Thrilling, late-night game-stories from a little-known city in Mexico? Examine, kudos of a heavy dose of p.m. heroics from Chase Budinger and Miles Evans.
It has been, as yearly on the seaside is, a blast bringing protection from tournaments all world wide, from Asia to Mexico to our yard in Hermosa Seashore, California.
Take pleasure in our favourite volleyball tales of 2023. VolleyballMag.com editor Lee Feinswog can have a listing of our favourite and most well-read indoor tales on Thursday.
And, whereas this one wasn’t one in all our favorites, it had probably the most web page views of any story we posted in 2023, when the AVP introduced it was achieved for the season and wouldn’t have a championship.
From close to dying to AVP champion, the unimaginable story of “Water Wizard” Jen Keddy
Jen Keddy overcame most cancers and have become an AVP champion. And he or she did it with…water? Wild story that borderlines on miracle.
Zana Muno: Seashore Volleyball’s “Hooptidoodah Lady”
Probably the most fashionable gamers within the seaside volleyball world, Zana Muno raises chickens, performs — and succeeds — with all kinds of companions, and channels an power she calls “Hooptidoodah.” A enjoyable take a look at probably the most gifted defenders on the AVP Tour.
Seashore volleyball Olympian Sarah Pavan not retired however chasing peace
Sarah Pavan has completed almost the whole lot there’s to perform on a seaside volleyball court docket. World Championship? Commonwealth Video games gold? No. 1 world rating? Most embellished Canadian blocker of all-time? She holds all of these titles, but she’s in search of one thing else, one thing extra: Peace.
Miles Partain fanning his “spark from God” into flame
Probably the most intriguing gamers on the planet is 22-year-old Miles Partain. His rise by means of the world ranks, from Problem qualifiers to a top-five group on the Seashore Professional Tour, was extraordinary. He views his expertise not as his personal, however as a “spark from God.” His job is just to fan it into flame.
USC beats UCLA to win the NCAA Nationwide Collegiate Seashore Championship
USC did it once more, successful its third NCAA Nationwide Collegiate Seashore Championship in a row. USC won’t have been the favourite going into the match in Gulf Shores, Alabama, but it surely rallied time and time once more and when it was over, made the dash into the Gulf of Mexico.
Exceptional, heartbreaking, extraordinary seaside volleyball story of JD Hamilton
The epitome of what it means to be a Qualifier Man, JD Hamilton had been enjoying in qualifiers since 2015, to no avail. When he alas broke by means of on the Virginia Seashore Tour Collection, punching his ticket into the Hermosa Seashore Professional Collection, he formally turned a most important draw participant. That was, by some means, one of many best challenges he’s ever overcome. His story is one in all otherworldly perseverance, from poverty, neglect, and homicide to a loving father, doting husband, and profitable man.
What. A. Comeback. Flint-Scoles stun world No. 1 Ana Patricia and Duda
We wouldn’t blame you when you turned off Betsi Flint’s and Julia Scoles’ Montreal Elite16 quarterfinal in opposition to Ana Patricia and Duda. Flint’s personal husband did, in any case, when Flint and Scoles went down a seemingly insurmountable 8-14 within the third set. What occurred subsequent is, maybe, one in 1,000,000? However to cite the good Lloyd Christmas: “So that you’re saying there’s an opportunity!” There was an opportunity, and so they made it occur, gorgeous the world No. 1 en path to an eventual silver medal.
Wait is over: Taylor Crabb, the “individuals’s champion,” wins the Manhattan Seashore Open
It was solely a matter of time. Simple for followers and writers to say. Unimaginable for Taylor Crabb to match it. What number of alternatives may he get to win a Manhattan Seashore Open? Because the years added up, the probabilities had been lowered in sort, till this 12 months, when Crabb and Taylor Sander alas exorcised the demons and etched their named onto the Manhattan Seashore Pier.
Magnificence, challenges of husband-wife/player-coach Kelly and Jordan Cheng dynamic
Jordan and Kelly Cheng reside dream lives: Touring the world, enjoying and training seaside volleyball, successful World Championships and raking in prize cash. It’s lovely, sure, but additionally troublesome past measure to steadiness the trickiest of dynamics: player-coach-husband-wife.
Tom Feuer breaks it down after the World Championships in Mexico
We adore it when Tom Feuer presents his ideas on the state of seaside volleyball. In October, he wrote:
“The World Championships in Tlaxcala, Mexico proved to be a cosmically redemptive expertise for a lot of, however most particularly for Sara Hughes, Ondrej Perusic, David Schweiner, Jonatan Hellvig, and final, however not least, USA Volleyball as a complete.
There are additionally some adjustments the beach-volleyball world has to make and we’ll get to that later and in addition supply some complaints and suggestions.”
Chase Budinger, Miles Evans shifting on at World Champs in late-night stunner
There wasn’t a complete lot of intrigue left on the ultimate night of pool play on the World Championships: Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner would advance, as would George and Andre of Brazil. Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, late entrants into the occasion, gave it the ole school strive however would want a blowout over Ukraine’s Sergiy Popov and Eduard Reznik by a measure that was absolutely unattainable. After which, because the eleventh hour struck, so did a surprising consequence, turning Crabb and Brunner’s match, a seeming formality, right into a win-or-go-home. A full 360 retelling of a chaotic night time in Mexico.
Travis Mewhirter’s 2023 in seaside volleyball, the “most particular” 12 months so far
Was this 12 months my most profitable as a participant? Nope. Best? Undoubtedly not. However it was, for each apparent causes (having a son) and never (enjoying with double-digit companions), 2023 was the “most particular” 12 months so far for my volleyball profession.
Editor’s word: We simply obtained the 2023 version of “The 12 months’s Greatest Sports activities Writing” and Travis’ year-end story in regards to the 2022 season was included! It’s very thrilling for us and Travis, who continues to nail these year-end items. You’ll be able to learn that article right here.