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For those who don’t want a season to end, Sunday was the perfect finale for the AVP Tour.
The Hawaii Open men’s title match was over 90 minutes of survival tactics that, thanks to the unique score freeze in place, led to an epic battle between the No. 2 and 12 seeds. When the Fort DeRussy sand cleared, second-seeded Taylor Crabb and Jake Gibb prevented Theo Brunner and John Hyden from making history in an Association of Volleyball Professionals tour stop.
Crabb and Gibb both had 24 kills, and Crabb had 19 digs — most rally saving — to claim the championship paddles, 18-21, 22-20, 17-15. Brunner and Hyden — the oldest player on tour at 46 — were trying to become the first team to advance out of the qualifying bracket and win an event.
“This is all I wanted,” Crabb, a Punahou product, said. “I wanted either me or my brother (Trevor) and Tri (Bourne) to win it.
>> Photo Gallery: Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Hawaii Open
“I’m thankful for all the fans who supported us all week, who were here to push us through it.”
There was less drama on the women’s side, where third-seeded Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan swept top-seeded and defending event champions Alix Klineman and April Ross, 21-19, 21-17. It was a rematch of July’s Beach Volleyball World Championships in Hamburg, Germany, won by Humana-Paredes and Pavan, 23-21, 23-21.
“I think our serving made the difference,” said Humana-Paredes, who had all five of the pair’s aces. “We knew we needed to stay aggressive.
“And Sarah’s blocking was amazing. She always comes through in the clutch.”
The 6-foot-5 Pavan, a former All-American at Nebraska, was a presence at the net late in what had been a tight Set 2. There were 12 ties through 14-14 before Humana-Paredes went on a 4-0 serving run that ended with Pavan blocking the 6-4 Klineman.
At 20-17, the “score freeze” went into effect where the team has to score a natural point when serving to win. Humana-Paredes and Pavan, who have already qualified to represent Canada in the 2020 Olympics, needed just one chance, with Pavan stuffing Klineman to end it.
The men doubled up on score freeze, going to the system at the ends of both Sets 2 and 3. The 6-7 Brunner and 6-5 Hyden, one of the tallest duos on tour, were poised to end it in Set 2, leading 20-14.
Both teams could only score when serving, and Crabb and Gibb scored six to tie at 20, including two aces by Gibb. With Crabb on serve, the 6-7 Gibb blocked Hyden to get to match point at 21-20 and Brunner hit wide to send it to Set 3.
The drama continued. Crabb-Gibb led 14-13 and 15-14 with the freeze in effect. At 15-15, Crabb put down his 24th kill. Brunner’s final attack didn’t clear the net, ending the marathon.
“I don’t think we win without the freeze,” the 6-foot Crabb said.
“Give credit to Taylor, he’s the MVP of the tournament,” Gibb said. “He played phenomenally all week. He’s one of the best players in the world and I hope Hawaii appreciates it.”
Crabb-Gibb as well as Trevor Crabb (Punahou) and Bourne (Academy of the Pacific) remain in the hunt for 2020 Olympic berths. Crabb-Bourne finished tied for seventh in the Hawaii Open. They were eliminated by Brunner-Hyden on Saturday.
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