Both a Florida and familial battle were on display Saturday evening at Sephora Arena.
The Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour wrapped its two-day stint in Miami for Week 3 competition, and contests between the Palm Beach Passion and Miami Mayhem were nothing short of thrilling for a Florida audience.
“I think everybody's just cheering for good volleyball,†said the Mayhem's 2023 World Champion, Kelly Cheng. “I feel like everybody's so into it and so happy to be here, which we love and we feel, so that's been amazing.â€
The women started the action for the night, as both teams looked to avenge their losses Friday night. Cheng and 2025 AVP Best Server Megan Kraft for Miami faced 2024 Paris Olympic silver medalist Brandie Wilkerson, who sported a new partner Saturday. After Melissa Humana-Paredes was injured Friday, Devanne Sours joined Wilkerson and made her AVP League debut.
It was a clean first set from both teams, both going error-free at the net. Sours struggled from the service line, but made up for it with her swings. Out of the Passion's 11 points in the first set, her kills made up six, finding success hitting deep cross. However, it was Miami that gained the early advantage and held on to it, coasting to a 15-11 win.
The Mayhem got out to a similar strong start in set two, and barreled through the rest of it, securing a convincing 15-7 win. Kraft put pressure on the Passion's serve-receive, recording her second and third aces, and Cheng was unrelenting at the net, recording a match-high 13 kills and four controlled blocks.
“That team had an injury sub, so brand-new team, didn't have a lot of film on them,†Kraft said. “Just trying to continue to build and focus on our side a lot more.â€
Then, the Dallas Dream and Austin Aces took the court for both the men's and women's matches.
The men kicked it off with the Aces' Troy Field and Ryan Wilcox taking on Dallas' 2012 Olympian Paul Lotman and 2024 AVP Most Valuable Player Miles Partain.
The Dream got off to a slow start, down 8-4, but bounced back after the halfway mark. They scored six straight points, including a huge block and successful joust at the net from Lotman, to take the lead. They finished on a 10-3 run to win set one 15-12.
Dallas did not run into the same slow-start hitch in set two and fended off the Aces' mid-set comeback efforts to win 15-11 and secure the straight-set victory.
The women then took over the stage for round two of the Texas showdown.
Dallas' Kylie Deberg and her partner, six-time AVP Champion Betsi Flint, faced Austin's Taryn Brasher and Kristen Nuss Cruz, the longstanding 2024 Paris Olympic pair.
Coming off a win in Friday's nail-biter, Brasher and Cruz clinched a 15-10 win in set one off a late surge, finishing on a 6-1 run. The momentum was enough to propel them to a 15-10 victory in set two as they took the match. Brasher led with 14 kills, and Cruz had a match-high 14 digs.
Finally, the Crabb brothers took the court as both the family competition and second wave of the Florida rivalry reared their heads.
The defending national champion Passion, comprised of 2025 AVP MVP Trevor Crabb and 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Dalhausser, took on Miami's six-time AVP Best Defender Taylor Crabb and 2024 Paris Olympian Andy Benesh.
In the most back-and-forth set of the night, the Passion grabbed a 15-12 win to put themselves in a solid position going into set two.
And the duo capitalized on the early advantage. Back-to-back aces for Dalhausser tied the set at eight after a four-point deficit, and the pair battled to another 15-12 victory. In true teamwork fashion, they both logged eight kills and no errors for a .571 clip.
“Whenever we play against each other, we both play better,†Trevor said about his brother.
The league heads to Las Vegas for Week 4 competition beginning Friday.
