NEW ORLEANS (MAY 29, 2022) – The TKN Tandem’s magical run in the AVP Pro Series New Orleans Open ran into a significant roadblock Sunday afternoon.
Former LSU stars Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss rolled through the women’s bracket into the championship match, but once there, fell to top-seeded Kelly Cheng and Betsi Flint in straight sets, 21-15, 21-15.
Seeded second, Kloth and Nuss, a Metairie native, won their first three matches of the tournament. Sunday afternoon, however, they fell behind early and couldn’t catch up in the women’s finals against Flint and Cheng, a 2020 Olympian.
Cheng won for the second time in 28 career events on the AVP Tour, and Flint secured her sixth career AVP tournament victory. Earlier this month, Kloth and Nuss won the AVP’s Austin Open, beating Cheng and Flint in the semifinals.
“This weekend was absolutely incredible – the amount of people who came out, it just really shows how much beach volleyball is growing in Louisiana,” Nuss said. “I’m so proud of this state and am excited to keep representing it.”
Added Kloth: “Obviously we’re disappointed, but we also learn so much more from losing than winning. We’ll take this feeling that we’re experiencing after losing and bring it into our practices.”
In the men’s final, top-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Casey Patterson topped third-seeded Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander, 17-21, 21-19, 15-13. Dalhausser won for the second time in as many AVP events this season, having teamed with Any Benesh to win the AVP Austin Open earlier in May.
Dalhausser, an Olympic gold medalist, has now won 61 times on the AVP Tour dating back to his maiden victory in 2005, and he has won with five different playing partners. Patterson, also an Olympian, won for the 18th time and secured a victory with his fourth different playing partner.
The three-day New Orleans Open ran Friday through Sunday and featured 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams competing for a $125,000 purse. It was the second tournament of the AVP’s 2022 season, which features 16 events and offers $2 million in prize money – the most comprehensive tournament slate for the AVP since 2009.
Complete brackets for both the men’s and women’s draw can be viewed here:
Sunday’s Notable Results
Men:
• Championship: (1) Phil Dalhausser/Casey Patterson vs. (3) Taylor Crabb/Taylor Sander,
17-21, 21-19, 15-13
• Semifinal: (1) Phil Dalhausser/Casey Patterson def. (7) Miles Partain/Paul Lotman, 23-
21, 21-16, 15-11
• Semifinal: (3) Taylor Crabb/Taylor Sander def. (4) Chase Budinger/Troy Field, 21-15, 23-
21
• Contenders’ bracket quarterfinal: (7) Miles Partain/Paul Lotman def. (5) Billy
Allen/Jeremy Casebeer, 24-22, 21-17
• Contenders’ bracket quarterfinal: (4) Chase Budinger/Troy Field def. (12) Skylar del
Sol/Andrew Dentler, 21-18, 21-16
Women:
• Championship: (1) Kelly Cheng/Betsi Flint def. (2) Taryn Kloth/Kristen Nuss, 21-15, 21-
15
• Semifinal: (1) Kelly Cheng/Betsi Flint def. (6) Emily Day/Hailey Harward, 21-13, 24-22
• Semifinal: (2) Taryn Kloth /Kristen Nuss def. (5) Megan Kraft/Emily Stockman, 26-24, 21-
14
• Contenders’ bracket quarterfinal: (6) Emily Day/Hailey Harward advance to the
semifinals by forfeit due to injury
• Contenders’ bracket quarterfinal: (5) Megan Kraft/Emily Stockman def. (3) Zana
Muno/Brandie Wilkerson, 21-15, 21-12
{Courtesy: release from AVP Pro Tour}
