Misty May-Treanor and Nicole Branagh capped off their debut as teammates by winning the AVP NIVEA Tour Gatorade Fort Lauderdale Open on Sunday, while rain washed out a men’s final that would have put Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers against Matt Fuerbringer and Fort Lauderdale native Nick Lucena.
May-Treanor/Branagh swept sixth-seeded Angie Akers and Tyra Turner, 21-14, 21-17, to win the title without losing a game all weekend. The win was May-Treanor’s 106th, adding to her all-time record, and Branagh’s 17th. May-Treanor/Branagh are the first women’s duo to win their first event as teammates since 2002, when Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs won in Huntington Beach.
“We kept getting better,” May-Treanor said. “You could feel we started meshing a little more. I always saw us in the finals. It was a matter of us doing what we needed on our side to get there.”
“Good communication helped in the success of our new partnership,” Branagh added. “We are thrilled with our win.”
Akers/Turner had to win three matches Sunday to advance to the final out of the contender’s bracket. They knocked off Brooke Hanson and Lisa Rutledge and Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan then dominated second-seeded Jen Kessy and April Ross in a 23-21, 21-8 upset in the semifinals.
The cancelled men’s final marks only the fifth time in domestic history in which competition was not completed and the first time since 1996, when strong winds forced the cancellation of a tournament in Dallas.
Top-seeded Dalhausser/Rogers and sixth-seeded Fuerbringer/Lucena both went undefeated over the weekend and both earn credit for the win. Each team will split $17,500, the midway point between first- and second-place prize money. In Sunday’s semifinals, Dalhausser/Rogers beat John Hyden and Sean Scott; Fuerbringer/Lucena defeated Billy Allen and Braidy Halverson.
The AVP NIVEA Tour continues April 29-May 2 in Santa Barbara, Calif. For more information, visit avp.com.