Ross/Walsh Jennings, Gibb/Patterson Tune Up For Rio Olympics With AVP San Francisco Championships

LOS ANGELES - June 26, 2016 - PRLog -- In the second to last AVP Pro Beach Volleyball event before the 2016 Olympics, two teams showed why they will be representing the USA in Rio. Top seeds April Ross/Kerri Walsh Jennings and Jake Gibb/Casey Patterson capped an exciting four days of action at the AVP San Francisco Open with Championship wins on Sunday at The Embarcadero Pier 30/32.

In the nationally-televised women's final on NBC, Ross and Walsh Jennings were crowned the AVP San Francisco Open Champions when they beat the inaugural NCAA Beach National Championship team from USC Kelly Claes and Sara Hughes 21-17, 21-13 after holding off the challenge of Emily Day and Brittany Hochevar 21-13, 21-18 in the semifinals earlier in the day. Claes and Hughes, who had advanced through Thursday's qualifiers as the #13 seed and #1 Qualifier seed, who won the first set off Ross/Walsh Jennings in QF play on Saturday snapping the Olympians 66 consecutive set winning streak, earned their spot in the finals with a 21-15, 23-21 win over second-seeded Lane Carico and Summer Ross Sunday morning. The championship is the 12^th on the AVP Tour for Ross/Walsh Jennings in 13 events together. For Ross, it is the 14^th AVP title in her last 15 starts, with three different partners. The San Francisco Open was the 5^th AVP tournament for Claes/Hughes and their first ever final appearance.

In men's action, Gibb and Patterson topped the #2 seeded brothers Taylor and Trevor Crabb 18-21, 21-15, 15-10 for the title. In a pair of spirited three-set semifinals earlier in the day, the champs had upended #5 seed John Mayer and Stafford Slick 16-21, 21-17, 15-13 while the Crabbs had bounced qualifiers Ty Loomis and Marty Lorenz 21-16, 24-26, 15-12. Playing their 25^th AVP tournament together, Gibb/Patterson's championship win on Sunday now marks 12 AVP wins for the duo. The AVP San Francisco Open marked the 10^th time the Crabb brothers have played together on the AVP tour and their 3^rd time playing in the finals this season.

The event marked the Tour's first action in San Francisco since 2009, which Ross also won with then-partner Jennifer Kessy. Walsh Jennings won the other two years (2007, 2008) that the event has been held in the City by the Bay.

Full Results and brackets from the tournament can be found here:

Men: http://avp.com/stats/mens-san-francisco-open-2016/

Women: http://avp.com/stats/womens-san-francisco-open-2016/

The next event on the AVP Tour is the 57^th Manhattan Beach Open, July 14-17 at Manhattan Beach Pier, the longest-running continuous tournament in the sport. After taking a break for the Olympics, the 2016 Tour concludes with the AVP Championships in Chicago, September 1-4 at Oak Street Beach on famed Lake Shore Drive.

The AVP thanks its partners: Barefoot, Jaybird, Samuel Adams, Smartypants Vitamins and Wilson for their support of the AVP San Francisco Open.

ABOUT THE AVP:

The AVP, entering its 33^rd season, is the premiere American professional beach volleyball tour and exclusive U.S. beach volleyball home of the nation's top male and female athletes, including those who have won gold, silver and bronze medals in the Olympic Games. Under the ownership of Donald Sun since 2012, the AVP held seven tournaments across the U.S. in 2014, eight in 2015 and is scheduled for eight more throughout 2016.