Punahou graduate Taylor Crabb braved the elements of the incoming Hurricane Hilary to win his first Manhattan Beach Open on Sunday.
Crabb came tantalizingly close to winningthe prestigious beach volleyball tournament five years ago. His potential game-winning point landed half an inch out in the eventual loss to Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. In the four years since that final, Crabb had watched his brother Trevor, also a Punahou graduate, celebrate three straight Manhattan Beach Open titles.
This time, it was Taylor who was doing the celebrating. Taylor Crabb and partner Taylor Sander beat top-seeded Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner 27-25, 21-16 to prevent the first four-peat since 1993.
Taylor Crabb, who played with his brother until 2016, had lost 12 of his last 15 matches to Trevor before the final, including a thrilling three-set match in the winners bracket on Saturday. After Taylor Crabb’s win in the final, the brothers became the first blood relatives to each win the title at the legendary tournament.
Taylor Crabb is a two-time AVP Most Valuable Player and four-time best defender. He was an Olympic qualifier in 2020 before a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of the tournament. But to Taylor, “nothing means more” than getting his name on the plaque of winners at the Manhattan Beach Pier and solidifying himself among the sports’ legends, according to the Los Angeles Times.
UH falls to Gonzaga in high-scoring affair
A furious comeback effort by the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine soccer team fell just short in a 7-5 loss to Gonzaga in the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff finale on Sunday at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
Gonzaga opened the scoring with a pair of goals in the first half, the latter of which came on a penalty kick. The Rainbow Wahine joined them on the scoreboard in the opening minutes of the second half. Amber Gilbert netted a goal in the top right corner off an assist from Kelci Sumida and Cate Sheahan to cut the deficit in half.
The next 20 minutes belonged to Gonzaga. The Bulldogs responded to UH’s opening goal with four unanswered goals for their biggest lead of the game. Sheahan scored off an assist by Fabiola Zamora in the 74th minute to make it 6-2, but Gonzaga again responded with a goal three minutes later.
The Rainbow Wahine made a late run, scoring three straight goals in the final 10 minutes. Mia Foster found the top right corner of the goal for a solo goal in the 82nd minute, then scored another six minutes later on a penalty kick. Gilbert netted her second goal in the 89th minute on an assist from Chaima Khammar. But the offensive surge ultimately came too late.
Hawaii will turn its attention to a matchup with the visiting Sacramento State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
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