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Top men’s teams shaken up in beach volleyball

Nick Lucena tries to power the ball past Madison McKibbin during a match at the AVP Huntington Beach Open on Friday.

Nick Lucena tries to power the ball past Madison McKibbin during a match at the AVP Huntington Beach Open on Friday.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Friday was a day of minor upheaval in the men’s bracket of the AVP Huntington Beach Open, while the favorites remain among the women.

One of the day’s biggest surprises was the withdrawal of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena. One of the top duos in the tournament, the pair forfeited after Lucena injured his shoulder in their first match of the day. The withdrawal was described as a precaution.

Then there was the No. 1-ranked pair of Ryan Doherty and John Mayer, who lost to No. 8 Billy Allen and Theo Brunner. Doherty and Mayer hadn’t lost this AVP season, yet they fell to a pair playing together for the first time this tournament.

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Another top pair, Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson, defeated Olympian Todd Rogers and his partner, Robbie Page, in one of the most significant matches of the day.

Like Doherty and Mayer, Rogers and Page will need three wins Saturday to advance to the semifinals Sunday.

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The women’s side, by comparison, went mostly chalk. Four of the top six seeded teams went undefeated.

Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross needed less than a half hour to win each of their two matches. They have won 43 matches in a row.

Follow Zach Helfand on Twitter: @zhelfand

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