It was a match to remember

This much is clear after the women’s final at the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour’s Manhattan Beach Open: The men have a lot to live up to.

That’s because Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh battled Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh in a women’s final Saturday that is sure to garner instant classic status.

Game 1 featured Youngs and Branagh playing near perfect volleyball. In Game 2, Youngs went down with leg cramps so bad she and Branagh forfeited the game. In Game 3, May-Treanor and Walsh overcame an inspired Branagh and a late three-point deficit before pulling out a 15-21, 14-7 (retired), 15-10 victory.

“I almost don’t feel like we won, but we’ll take it,” Walsh said.

It was the third consecutive Manhattan Beach Open title for May-Treanor and Walsh, who became the first women’s team to three-peat since Jean Brunicardi and Johnette Latreiile won the first three in 1966, ’67 and ’68.

The close call extended their overall winning streak to six consecutive tournaments and 41 consecutive matches between the AVP and international tours. They have won the last 10 AVP tournaments that they have played.

This one was not easy.

Youngs and Branagh used their devastating jump serves to dominate in Game 1, using a 5-0 run in the middle to take an 11-8 lead they would not relinquish, before the drama began.

Youngs felt a twinge in her already strained calf early in Game 2. She required a medical timeout with May-Treanor and Walsh leading, 9-5, but came back after receiving treatment that included salt tablets and pickle juice.

But she went down again when the score was 14-7 and decided to forfeit the game and take her chances in a Game 3.

“My legs completely cramped,” Youngs said. “After I strained the calf, I had full quad lockdown. From my hips down. It completely took me out of my game.”

With Youngs barely able to move, Branagh took over. She had seven kills and two blocks in the game, almost single-handedly staking her team to leads of 7-4 and 9-6 to put the No. 1 team in the world on the ropes.

Youngs and Branagh led as late as 12-11, but May-Treanor found the corners with two rainbow shots during a 4-0 run that ended the game and the match.

“Nicole stepped up to the challenge and played fantastically,” Walsh said. “And Elaine is a trooper. She’s never going to give up. If she had one arm and one leg, she’d still make it tough to beat her.”

May-Treanor said it was difficult playing against an injured opponent because it was an instant altering of their strategy.

“It did get us out of our rhythm,” she said. “It shouldn’t have, but it did. You want to try to put the pressure on them and you almost make it too easy. We did a great job and got re-focused.”

And even though Youngs and Branagh lost, they agreed that Branagh’s breakthrough in Game 3 would be beneficial.

“This is going to be huge for us,” Youngs said. “This is what she’s capable of. In the long run, this is going to be really good for our team, really good.”

On the men’s side, top-seeded Stein Metzger and Mike Lambert and third-seeded Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser were each sent to the loser’s bracket, but each survived and advanced to today’s quarterfinals.

Second-seeded Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal were undefeated through the first two days and advanced to the semifinals. Dax Holdren and Sean Scott have also secured a berth in the semifinals by remaining unbeaten through the first two days.

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peter.yoon@latimes.com