Jake Gibb and Stein Metzger not only established themselves as the top team of 2005, but also left their mark by earning a coveted plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier with their win at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open presented by Bud Light. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh etched their names in history as well, winning their eighth title on the 2005 AVP Nissan Series.

Collecting their fourth win of the season, Gibb / Metzger exacted some revenge against Phil Dalhauser / Nick Lucena. The two teams met in the finals of Austin, with Dalhausser / Lucena getting their first career win, then met most recently in Manhattan Beach in a match to get into the semifinals. After losing that match, Gibb / Metzger needed to play two more matches in order to reach the championship. Both times, they faced elimination after losing the first game, but rebounded to win and reach their fifth title match this season.

"If you grow up loving volleyball, you read about Manhattan, the history, the players, the names on the Pier," Metzger said. "It's special to have your name on the pier forever."

In the "Wimbledon of beach volleyball" Californians have ruled in the past. But this year, for the first time, all four players in the finals were natives of other states. Gibb is from Utah, Metzger is from Hawaii, and Dalhausser and Lucena are from Florida. Also breaking from tradition was the fact that a number one seed won an open event, ending a drought of 26 straight tournaments for the top teams. Gibb / Metzger became the first top-seeded team to win since the 2003 season opener, when Eric Fonoimoana / Dax Holdren won in Ft. Lauderdale.

"What makes it so special is all the hard work you put in to it," Gibb said of winning in Manhattan Beach. "Stein taught me how to be a professional.  Playing with Stein, he molded me into the player he wanted me to be.  He took me to his strength coach, then to his blocking and serving coach.  We started in November when everyone else started in March and April.  That's what makes it so special. That was my first win in California, so I told Stein how bad I wanted one here."

Gibb / Metzger began the finals looking like they wanted this match to be settled early, which would favor them as they were 0-4 in three-game matches against Dalhausser / Lucena. Gibb / Metzger jumped ahead with leads of 5-1 and 10-5, but by the third side change the lead was just one at 11-10. While the rest of game one remained close, Gibb / Metzger never relinquished their lead in winning 21-19.

In the second game, Dalhausser / Lucena enjoyed a 1-0 lead, but it was the only one of the match for them. They trailed just 7-6 when their hopes for another title fell apart, as Gibb / Metzger closed out the scoring with a 14-4 run.

"We knew if we played our game would have a good chance to win," Metzger said. "We played them yesterday and we were right there. Well, the first game was close.  The second game Jake really took over.  Jake jump serves, gets aces, gets stuffs, which put the fear in the opponents."

The win meant that in 10 events, six different teams have won, and there have been seven unique match-ups in the finals. On the women’s side, there has been the same match-up for seven tournaments, including in Manhattan Beach.

Rachel Wacholder / Elaine Youngs and May-Treanor / Walsh once again went undefeated in reaching the finals – something that they have accomplished for five straight events now. Each team had won two titles in the previous four AVP events, and this tournament, worth double points, would go a long way in the points race for the Nissan Championship Series.

The first game was as tight as could be, with the lead never bigger than two points either way. On the third game point, Wacholder / Youngs won 23-21. This season, the duo rarely loses a match when winning the first game, having lost in the finals in Tempe and Belmar despite winning game one.

In the second game, the gap was again two points at the most, as the teams traded leads. Wacholder / Youngs led 16-15 but the game was turned with a block by Walsh. On the third game point, May-Treanor / Walsh won 22-20 to set up the tiebreaker game.

Wacholder / Youngs entered the first side change with a 4-1 lead, and the only point they yielded was because of a net violation. But with the side change came a huge momentum change, as May-Treanor / Walsh went on a 9-1 scoring run that put them firmly in control, winning 15-11.

"Down 4-1 in the third we had to battle back," May-Treanor said. "Rachel and EY are playing the best volleyball that Kerri and I have seen.  To come back from that, we had to do extra good and make plays. It's not always that fun coming from behind.  It's been hard on us from the weeks of traveling.  We're having to make adjustments during the game.  We still have that 5th gear that we haven't got to yet.  Today was all heart.  Our game is going to come together."

Walsh, the leading blocker on the Tour, was limited to just one block in the three games, the first time all year that she had only one block in a match that lasted three games. Youngs meanwhile recorded six rejections, the most she has had this season in a single match.

"They are a great, great team," Walsh said of her opponents. "They're getting better each tournament.  You can see their confidence.  They're scrappers.  I think we expect to see them every week."

The win came a few days before the anniversary of the Gold Medal win in the Athens Olympics. "Wow, the Olympics feels like nine years ago," Walsh commented. Perhaps that is because since winning in Athens, May-Treanor / Walsh have won 15 additional tournaments. That total alone would tie them for eighth all-time in career victories as a team.

Gibb / Metzger have now won four tournaments this season with three more team events left. They are already tied for the most domestic victories in one year since 1999 and will look to add to their total with three different tournaments upcoming. First up is a 24-team main draw in Boulder, followed by a 32-team tournament in Chicago. The final team event will be in Hawaii, an eight-team double elimination event.