Beach volleyball
Nicole Branagh, right, spikes the ball against Tyra Turner during competition Sunday in the AVP Crocs Tour Gold Crown championships in Huntington Beach. Branagh and teammate Elaine Youngs won in the final when Kerri Walsh had to retire with a shoulder injury. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Volleyball fans do the wave Sunday during the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown men’s final, which was won by Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, who defeated John Hyden and Brad Keenan. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Nicole Branagh, left, celebrates with teammate Elaine Youngs during their victory over Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan in an AVP Cuervo Gold Crown exhibition final Sunday. Branagh and Youngs were supposed to play Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, but Walsh had to retire for the day because of a shoulder injury. Walsh and May-Treanor had won the Huntington Beach Open title on Saturday over Branagh and Youngs, who picked up $25,000 on Sunday for winning the Gold Crown event. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Nicole Branagh passes the ball to teammate Elaine Youngs during their exhibition final victory over Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan on Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Jenny Johnson Jordan lies in the sand at Huntington Beach after missing a dig during her exhibition loss Sunday to Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
John Hyden passes the ball to teammate Brad Keenan during the men’s final of the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown event Sunday at Huntington Beach. Hyden and Keenan lost in the final to Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, but they had taken out Huntington Beach Open champions Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers in the semifinals. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Sean Rosenthal falls to the sand after he and teammate Jake Gibb defeated John Hyden and Brad Keenan, 21-18, 21-16, during the men’s final of the Cuervo Gold Crown championships on Sunday at Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Sean Rosenthal celebrates winning a point with teammate Jake Gibb during their victory Sunday over John Hyden and Brad Keenan in the AVP Cuervo Gold Crown men’s final Sunday at Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Sean Rosenthal leaps to make a dig in the Cuervo Gold Crown men’s final at Huntington Beach on Sunday, when he and teammate Jake Gibb defeated John Hyden and Brad Keenan, 21-18, 21-16. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
