Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Kelley Kolinske hits the ball as she and Hayley Harward lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles, Betsi Flint and a not so happy baby Cora celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Betsi Flint digs for the ball as she and Julia Scoles defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Kelley Kolinske blocks at the net as she and Hayley Harward lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Kelley Kolinske blocks at the net as she and Hayley Harward lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Betsi Flint digs for the ball as she and Julia Scoles defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles celebrates as she and Betsi Flint defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Kelley Kolinske blocks at the net as she and Hayley Harward lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Kelley Kolinske blocks at the net as she and Hayley Harward lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles digs for the ball as she and Betsi Flint defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Betsi Flint digs for the ball as she and Julia Scoles defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Betsi Flint digs for the ball as she and Julia Scoles defeat Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Hayley Harward digs for the ball as she and Kelley Kolinske lose to Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Julia Scoles and Betsi Flint celebrate their win over Kelley Kolinske and Hayley Harward in the AVP Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
MANHATTAN BEACH — Betsi Flint finally gets a plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier. After two years as runner-up in the AVP Tour Gold Series Manhattan Beach Open, Flint finds herself as champion alongside Julia Scoles.
Flint tossed her flower lei on her 2-year-old daughter and posed for a family photo with her as well as her husband and Scoles after the award ceremony. Her daughter has now been around for both runner-up appearances and one championship. Flint returned six months postpartum to compete in the MBO in 2021 and has soared since then.
“I’ve been in the finals the past two years and lost, so that’s really heartbreaking,” Flint said. “But this year was a year and I’m really excited for my daughter to see my name on the pier forever, for life. I know she doesn’t care now, but she will down the road and that’s pretty cool.”
Flint and Scoles beat Hailey Harward and Kelley Kolinske in two sets (22-20, 20-13) on Sunday afternoon in steadily-building rain showers, a rarity for August in Manhattan Beach.
Flint tipped the ball for a 22-20 win in the first set, but Harward and Kolinske had the first lead in the second when Kolinske got through a block by Scoles. The set was tied twice before Flint and Scoles went on a five-point run to get ahead, 15-9.
Scoles tapped the ball over the top of the net for the 20-13 win. She ended the match with 13 kills and four controlled blocks, and Flint added 18 kills and 18 digs.
The pair was the No. 1 seed heading into the tournament but had to fight their way out of the contender’s bracket after losing to No. 32 seed Chloe Loren and Natalie Robinson in their first match.
“The emotions are highs and lows all the time in this sport,” Scoles said. “It’s really about trying to stay steady and not riding the highs too high in the lows too low, because we know this is such a talented field and anyone’s capable of winning on any given day.”
Scoles faced a college teammate in Harward in the championship match. The duo won two national championships together at USC, most recently in 2022. It wasn’t their first time competing against each other, though: Harward beat Scoles in the finals of the Pro Series Fort Lauderdale Open in July 2022.
“This is our first time meeting in the finals again, and she’s my best friend, she’s my sister in Christ, and we just root for each other on and off the court,” Scoles said. “And yeah, I want her to win but I also want to win. Our relationship is something special and I’m so grateful for a friend like her.”
Rain increased as the championship match went on, with AVP Tour staff simultaneously breaking down the courts that surrounded the stadium and anything else they could in anticipation of even more rain and perhaps wind.
Still, the stadium bleachers that fans could still access free of charge were full. Championship matches had been moved up in the day due to the inclement weather, with the women’s match starting around 11 a.m. The men’s match took place roughly an hour earlier.
Flint said she and Scoles managed to stay fairly dry during warmups and that the ball felt heavier and tougher to serve, but the rain helped them dial in.
“We’re used to playing in everything,” Flint said. “We were expecting a little more wind, so it’s kind of nice. It was just a steady rain and we were able to warm up without being too soaking wet, so I think it just helps us stay focused and focus on each point.”
Flint has found her place on the Manhattan Beach Pier in unexpected conditions, but she did so while coached by a familiar face. April Ross coached Flint and Scoles in the MBO just two years after beating Flint in the 2021 finals.
Ross was then partnered with Alix Klineman, and the two were fresh off winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Her coaching at MBO has not only united her with Flint, but also is serving as inspiration for Scoles in the next generation of pro volleyball.
“I look up to her so much,” Scoles said. “She’s been my favorite player since I was young, so to have her in our box, I’m still fangirl-ing. And I’m just so grateful to know the person she is, as well as the player.”
