Former LSU beach volleyball duo Kristen Cruz, Taryn Brasher win Manhattan Beach title BY SCOTT RABALAIS | Sports columnist Scott Rabalais Author email Aug 16, 2026 Aug 16, 2026 1 min to read SMS Email Kristen Nuss Cruz, left, and Taryn Kloth Brasher celebrate after a match on Aug. 16, 2025 at the Manhattan Beach Open in Manhattan Beach, Calif. PROVIDED PHOTO BY AVP SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Former LSU beach volleyball All-Americans Taryn Brasher, left, and Kristen Cruz celebrate their third straight victory in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026 in Manhattan Beach, Calif. PHOTO PROVIDED BY AVP Team TKN is on top once again.The duo of former LSU beach volleyball All-Americans Kristen (Nuss) Cruz and Taryn (Kloth) Brasher won their third straight title Sunday in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open in California. They defeated fellow Americans Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft 21-18, 21-16 in the best-of-three set final. Cruz and Brasher did not drop a set in any of their six tournament matches. The 2024 Olympians are the first women’s duo to win three straight Manhattan Beach titles since three-time Olympic gold medalists Misty-May Treanor and Kerry Walsh-Jennings won four in a row from 2005-08. It’s been an incredible season for New Orleans’ Cruz and Brasher, a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Coming into the weekend they were tied for third in the world rankings and have three other international wins this season in addition to the AVP tour. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Scott Rabalais Author email