AVP League: Olympian Brandie Wilkerson lifts Passion past Launch in Week 5

INGLEWOOD — Brandie Wilkerson has been to the mountaintop of beach volleyball.

So she knows what it takes to get back.

She and Palm Beach Passion teammate Melissa Humana-Paredes won Canada’s first-ever Olympic medal in the sport — a silver — in 2024.

So when they dropped the first set 15-12 to the previously undefeated L.A. Launch on day two of AVP Week 5 inside the Intuit Dome, they knew it was time to climb.

“Being two-time Olympians helps us,” Wilkerson said. “We’ve played at the highest level, so we know when it’s time to get in that zone. We took a good look at each other and knew it was time to turn up.”

So she did.

Seven blocks. Five aces. Two dominant sets — 15-6, 15-10 — and the medalists handed L.A. its first loss of the season, down from the summit.

Wilkerson was everywhere, her touches seemingly as numerous as the grains of sand beneath her feet.

At 13-6 in the second set, she met a spike at the net and stuffed it back into the arms of Terese Cannon. Cannon wore a defeated frown as she looked at the rejected spike attempt still sitting in her arms on the wrong side of the net: set point.

Another block made it 6-4 in the third. She aced the next serve for 7-4, then ended the next rally with a spike through Cannon’s dig attempt. One possession later, she rejected another attack to make it 9-5.

Another block for 11-6. Another kill for 12.

She etched L.A.’s first loss in the sand herself.

“We knew we had to turn up and Brandi absolutely did,” Humana-Paredes said. “It was so much fun to sit back and watch her take over.”

Cannon and Megan Kraft, both former USC standouts, were undefeated entering Saturday. They pushed Palm Beach early but couldn’t match Wilkerson’s level down the stretch.

The Passion ignited a fire forged in Olympic flames — the kind that never fully goes out.

“We know going in it’s going to be the highest level of volleyball,” Humana-Paredes said. “All we can do is stay ready, whether it’s here, at the Olympics, in our backyard, or in a rec league.”

With five wins, Palm Beach is now tied for the most in the league.

Back at the summit.

L.A. Launch vs. Palm Beach Passion (Men)

Palm Beach Passion’s Phil Dalhausser, a four-time Olympian, wasn’t going easy.

Neither was L.A. Launch’s Hagen Smith, son of beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith.

Up 13-8 in the first set, Smith stepped to the line to serve. The Launch never touched the ball again. Dalhausser commandeered the match, and the Passion rattled off seven straight points to steal it, 15-13.

Palm Beach led 14-12 in the second and had L.A. buried. But Smith dove across the sand, saving rally after rally. The Launch forced extra points and outlasted the legend, 18-16.

The third went extras, too — two teams led by men with sand in their blood.

In the end, it was Smith’s teammate Logan Webber who sealed it, stuffing Dalhausser at the net to win 18-16.

Miami Mayhem vs. San Diego Smash (Women)

The Miami Mayhem women are still winless on the 2025 AVP Tour. Facing 2024 MVP Geena Urango of the San Diego Smash didn’t help.

At 11-7 in the second set, Urango had nine kills and just one error—a ruthless display from one of the league’s best.

An ace to make it 14-10 puts the Mayhem at the mercy of the Smash. Urango and rookie teammate Devon Newberry closed it out in straight sets, 15-10, 15-11.

Miami Mayhem vs. San Diego Smash (Men)

It went the distance. It needed a long rally at the end, but the San Diego Men pulled it out.

Former seven-year pro Chase Budinger decided, at 14-13 in the third set of the last game of the night, it was time for everyone ot go home.

A towering spike from someone who used to sky for dunks and rebounds, painted the corner to hand the league’s last-place team another loss for their trouble.