Huntington Beach Open has international flair with Dutch and Brazilian pairs digging wins
The playing of the Dutch national anthem is not one of the sights and sounds associated with the Huntington Beach Open.
But this is a new event and perhaps a new era.
Gone from the winner’s podium were local fixtures such as April Ross and Casey Patterson, previous champions synonymous with Southern California beach volleyball. Enter Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen, a longtime Netherlands duo who have been to California only a handful of times and had never played in Huntington Beach.
They stood proudly, and in wonder, as their anthem was played following their triumph in the men’s final, a 21-16, 21-15 win against Evandro Goncalves and Andre Loyola of Brazil. On the women’s side, the Brazilian team of Barbara Seixas and Fernanda Alves won the women’s final with a 16-21, 21-15, 15-9 win against countrywomen Maria Antonelli and Carolina Salgado.
The fact that FIVB staged the event in partnership with the AVP for the first time in Huntington Beach made victory all the sweeter, Meeuwsen said.
“We were so looking [forward] to playing in AVP, because it’s such a special event,” he said. “And now the first time ever we were allowed to play here — finally. The atmosphere — people just love the game, and you can see it everywhere. It’s really living here, and you can really feel that.”
Seixas and Alves also beamed in their victory in front of a stadium court that was packed even though it was a non-American final.
“Americans also know how to make a show,” Seixas said. “We feel appreciated here, so it was nice to have all this atmosphere, all the people coming to watch, the venue, this is really a party for us.”
Brouwer and Meeuwsen became the first European men’s team to win an FIVB event on American sand since 1996. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalists were able to neutralize the big serve of the 6-foot-11 Goncalves. They led the match from 5-4 in the first set. Brouwer’s ace made it 16-11 in the second set, which ended, appropriately, on a Brazilian service error.
Brouwer and Meeuwsen had to go through the losers bracket after a third-round loss and played their eighth and ninth matches of the tournament. Brouwer had 15 kills and 15 digs in the final.
“My legs, you don’t want to be in my place right now,” Brouwer said. “I think I’m going to need help stepping up to the podium. It’s the adrenaline. But nine matches? It’s not easy, but we had wings in this final.”
If Seixas looks familiar to U.S. fans, it’s because she was part of a team that beat Ross and Kerri Walsh-Jennings in the semifinals of the 2016 Olympics. Her partnership with Alves has produced 12 straight wins and a 14-1 record this season.
They got organized after the first set and led for good at 3-2 in the second set, with Seixas’ impressive array of shots and the 6-foot-2 Alves’ blocking presence. They got four straight blocks to end the match.
“Their blocker is very tall, intimidating a lot for our team, not only for [Salgado] but for me too, and Barbara is a very good defender,” Antonelli said.
Alves and Seixas admitted they didn’t start with the right hunger but got better as the match progressed, and they said the crowd helped.
“I think the energy here is really good,” Alves said. “The American people, they like beach volleyball. I feel that inside the court.”
Adrian Gavira and Pablo Herrera of Spain won the men’s bronze medal match against Aleksandrs Samoilovs and Janis Smedins of Lativa. Chantal Labourer and Julia Sude of Germany won the women’s bronze against Sarah Pavan and Melissa-Humana Paredes of Canada.
The double-elimination format and the huge field made for a busy but entertaining week.
Donald Sun, managing partner for AVP, said nothing is finalized for next year but the intention is to stage it this way again.
Even the losing team was up for it.
“It’s always good to come back here and play beach volleyball,” Goncalves said. “But in the next one, I want to come back and win.”
Twitter: @curtiszupke
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