MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Beach volleyball Olympians Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil went deep into extra points to earn a record-setting quarterfinal victory at the Manhattan Beach Open on Sunday.
The two Tokyo Olympians beat Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss 39-37 in the first set — the longest set in the history of the AVP tour. Sets are normally up to 21, but teams must win by two points. The previous high on the domestic tour was 35-33, which had happened four times, most recently at the 2016 Huntington Beach Open.
Klaes and Sponcil won on the 14th set point and then took the second set 21-15. They lost in the semifinals to Olympic gold medalists April Ross and Alix Klineman, who went on to win the tournament and earn the right to have their names added to the Volleyball Walk of Fame on the Manhattan Beach Pier.
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