B.J. Hoeptner Evans
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 26, 2011) – The top seeds in both the men’s and the women’s brackets easily advanced to the third round on Friday at the Manhattan Beach Open, part of the Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series produced by USA Volleyball and IMG.

The top-seeded men’s team of John Hyden (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and Sean Scott (Redondo Beach, Calif.), which won its first-round match on Thursday over NBA player Kevin Love (Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Hans Stolfus (Newport Coast, Calif.), defeated 32nd-ranked Kevin Beukema (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Guy Hamilton (Hermosa Beach, Calif.), 21-12, 21-13 in 33 minutes in Friday's second round.  The top-ranked pair will play 17th-ranked Scott Hill (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Everett Matthews (Burbank, Calif.) in Saturday’s third round.  In fact, all of the men's top-12 seeded teams advanced to the third round from among the starting field of 62 teams. The lowest-seeded men’s team to advance to the third round was 20th-ranked Avery Drost (Hawthorne, Calif.) and Will Montgomery (Hermosa Beach, Calif.).

On the women’s side, the top-ranked team of Jenny Kropp (Hawthorne, Calif.) and Whitney Pavlik (Laguna Beach, Calif.) advanced from the starting field of 32 with a first-round victory over 32nd-seeded Andrea Sanchez and Nora Tobin, 21-5, 21-6 in 30 minutes. In the second round, Kropp and Pavlik defeated 17th-seeded Abra Amwake (San Diego, Calif.) and Kaui Salzman (San Diego, Calif.), 21-17, 21-8 in 35 minutes.  In the third round, Kropp and Pavlik will play eighth-seeded Chara Harris (Sarasota, Fla.) and Megan Wallin (Siesta Key, Fla.).  The top eight seeds in the women’s bracket all advanced to the third round.  The ninth-seeded women’s team of Tyra Turner (Fort Meyers Beach, Fla.) and Diane Copenhagen (Saratoga, Calif.) won its first-round match, but lost in the second.  Turner, 35, is making her comeback to the beach after having a baby b  y named Myles three months ago.  Turner admitted that her team’s second-round loss to Harris and Wallin left her “exhausted.”  “Diane and I have had five practices,” she said. “I haven’t been back training for very long.”  Turner played on the 2010 FIVB World Tour with partner Angie Akers, where the two had nine top-10 finishes, including a first- and a second-place finish. Akers has played on the 2011 World Tour with Nicole Branagh.  Turner said her plans for this season were to play in the next two Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series tournaments in Miami and Hermosa Beach and then to return to the FIVB World Tour in 2012.  “I would like to return to play full-bore next year,” she said. “I wanted to play here to see if I still love the game, and I do.”  Turner was looking forward to helping Copenhagen, 25, improve over the next two tournaments.  “There are so many veterans who are not playing,” Turner said. “These young players need somebody to give back to them.”

The Manhattan Beach Open continues on Saturday with matches beginning at 8 a.m. as winning teams try to make it to the quarterfinals. The semifinals and finals will be played on Sunday.

For men’s results, click here.

For women’s results, click here.

MANHATTAN BEACH INFORMATION

• Location: South side of the Manhattan Beach Pier
• Format: 64 Team Draw - Double Elimination - 46 automatic berths and two wildcards
• Prize Money: $200,000 – Top 32 teams paid
• Admission for spectators is FREE
• Apply for Media Credentials
• For media information, click here
• Schedule
  • Saturday, Aug. 27: Main Draw – 8 a.m. to approx. 7:15 p.m. / 16 courts
  • Sunday, Aug. 28: Main draw – 9 a.m. to approx. 5:30 p.m. / Four courts
    • Women's final at 2:15 p.m.
    • Men's final (televised) at 4 p.m.