Schalk, Brunner surprise even themselves with win
Minutes after winning the 2022 AVP Tour Hermosa Beach Open on Sunday afternoon, Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner were sipping beers on Stadium Court, basking in the moment.
They did it the hard way. Schalk and Brunner entered the tournament as the second seed in the men's tournament, but lost on day one and needed to win three straight matches to get through the contender's bracket before reaching the final against Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander.
Schalk and Brunner, who are 36 and 37, respectively, beat Crabb and Sander 22-20, 26-24, 15-9. It was Brunner's fourth career AVP win and Schalk's second, and their first win together since teaming up in 2021.
“Feels incredible,” said Schalk, a Gardena resident. “It's not something that happens very often. We want to continue to do that and establish dominance in the U.S.”
Brunner also won the tournament in 2018, the last time he played at Hermosa Beach, where he lives and trains.
The duo was just coming off some time off after playing in the Beach Volleyball World Championships in June. They hit the gym hard last week, and Brunner was worried they would be a little sore entering the AVP competition. He texted Schalk on Saturday, with the pair facing elimination: “Dude, I don't know how we're going to do. But let's just make sure we just do the things we want to do.”
They did more than enough, rebounding after losing a tight second set with a dominant third set, sealing the win with an ace by Brunner.
The veterans were not fazed after dropping the second set. Schalk said the pair focused on block defense in the third set, tactically adjusting to Crabb in particular by placing serves in different areas and making late moves.
“We're playing so much volleyball right now,” Brunner said. “We've already played seven international tournaments this year. We've been through every emotional high and low. And we're old guys. I'm 37, he's 36. It's harder to get rattled when you've been in every possible situation.”
Crabb and Sander defeated the 42-year-old duo of Phil Dalhausser and Casey Patterson in the semifinals in three sets, while Brunner and Schalk also needed three sets to beat Paul Lotman and Miles Partain.
The stands were packed at Hermosa Beach all weekend as the tournament returned for the first time since 2019 to the volleyballcrazed community. Lines wrapped around the grandstand, with admission free for the weekend.
“Everywhere we go, there's a lot of interest,” Brunner said. “There's always fans. The stands are always full. I don't know how to monetize that for the tour, but I feel like the fanbase and interest is there.”