In one of the most prestigious youth beach volleyball tournaments of the season, two championship matches became a family affair for Manhattan Beach sisters and cousins.
Held Aug. 29 at the Manhattan Beach Pier and hosted by the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA), the 10 annual Youth Cal Cup featured winning teams in each age group (boys and girls 12U, 14U, 16U, 18U) from 10 tour stops held from Santa Cruz to San Diego.
Lindsey Kelly and Olivia Bakos captured the crown in the Girls 14-under division while Kelly’s sister, Leah, partnered with Ava Gallien to win the 12-under title, defeating tournament favorites Kyla Doig (Redondo Beach) and Mandalay Rennon (Trabuco Canyon) in the finals.
Bakos and Gallien are cousins who cheered each other on amidst a large group of family members. Their mothers, Lisa Hoven Gallien and Lee Hoven Bakos, are identical twins who played for Mira Costa High School’s first girls volleyball state championship team in 1982 and later played at Pepperdine.
“It was lovely watching the girls play – and win – on the beach,” Lee Bakos said. “Our father (John) took us to tournaments all over the place when Lisa and I were young, so it’s nice to see our daughters following in our footsteps. Playing on the sand brings families together, much more than playing inside a gym.”
Best friends since second grade, Leah Kelly and Gallien enjoyed another successful summer as beach volleyball partners. The duo won four USA Volleyball tournaments, four CBVA/ROX Tour Stop events (including the Cal Cup) and two AAU competitions. They also were runners-up in the AAU National Championships and Junior Olympic Games.
“Leah and Ava had their sights set on winning the Cal Cup all year long,” said Leah’s mother, Megan Kelly. “It’s such a prestigious tournament and every team is good. All of the girls worked very hard this year so they were so thrilled with the win.”
For Lindsey Kelly, who split time during the summer playing indoor for Mizuno Long Beach Volleyball Club, the Cal Cup marked the first time she and Bakos had played together. The two had qualified for the Cal Cup at different tournaments.
“”Lindsey and Olivia weren’t expected to win,” Megan Kelly said. “They had a tough semifinal game that was tied 24-24. Obviously, Kyla and Mandalay were disappointed by finishing second, but we weren’t home an hour when Mandalay, who plays at Mizuno with Lindsey, called to congratulate her. The beach volleyball community is very close which makes the fierce – yet friendly – competition on the sand so special.”
The Beach Cities were well represented at the Cal Cup with 37 of the 160 players residing in the South Bay.
Local boys finishing in the top three of their division included the Manhattan Beach duo of John Belardi and Troy McDonald who placed second in the Boys 12U competition while Keagan Benson (Hermosa Beach) and Cole Gillis (San Jose) were runners-up in the Boys 14U.
In the Boys 16U division, Bobby Barkley (Hermosa Beach) and Daniel Ramsey (Laguna Niguel)
placed second just ahead of the Manhattan Beach team of Luke Grafton and Dane Johnson.
Rob Mullahey (Manhattan Beach) and Will Bantle Pacific Palisades) took second in the Boys 18U competition.
In Girls 18U competition, Torrey Van Windon (Napa) and Anika Wilson (Santa Barbara) defeated Skylar Caputo (Manhattan Beach ) and Madalyn Roh (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in the championship match. Emma Smith (Manhattan Beach) and Milica Mirkovic (Irvine) placed third.
Caputo, Roh and Wilson are incoming freshmen at Pepperdine University and will play for the Waves’ beach volleyball team.
