A tournament that took place Sunday, Oct. 18 in North County (San Diego) may have slid under the radar for many. After all, it was the 46th annual “Moonlight Mixed,” a coed tournament held at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas—not exactly the kind of event that headlines beach volleyball’s massive social outreach on the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Nonetheless, word spread and produced a surprise, star-studded cast.

Twenty-four teams competed on five courts. Each match was played on “old-school” courts (9 x 9 meters) with “old-school” rules (sans antennas, no let-serve, sideout scoring). Pool play consisted of games to 11, followed by single elimination playoffs, also games to 11, and culminated with the finals, one game to 15.

Long-time beach legend Jim Nichols and 2007 Hermosa Beach Open partner Greg Lyle arguably ran the tournament to perfection, especially considering the two local “boys” incorporated the assistance of nearby AVP star Matt Olson to boost attendance.

After shooting Olson a text prior to last month’s Best of the Beach tournament in Las Vegas about a possible weak player turnout, they inquired further if he could find a way to lock in teams based in Los Angeles that might be willing to travel south for a day in mid-October. Olson mentioned it to fellow AVP players while competing at Mandalay Bay and found out not just one or two were interested, but almost every athlete he spoke to was willing to sign up, including Casey and the Golden Mom herself, Kerri Walsh-Jennings.

After all was said and done, Olson had rallied some of the tour’s great young stars. Moonlight participants included Olson and his wife Lindsey, April Ross and Brad Keenan, Billy Allen and Janelle Ruen, Nick Lucena and Brooke Hanson, Dane Jensen and Paige Davis, Mike and Kelly Bruning, Mike Placek and Jade Machado, Kevin McColloch and Jaz Machado, former Olympian Rob Heidger, Dana Camacho, Dave Smith, Dave Counts and Nichols himself.

Local CBS affiliate KFMB shot highlights of the action and landed an exclusive interview with the Jennings family, including baby Joseph, who hung out courtside all day.

The largest crowds in Moonlight Beach history began accumulating shortly after noon, once word of a nearby gold medalist started to spread; much like a surprise Eddie Vedder concert at nearby historic La Paloma Theater. Local youth players, enamored by the presence of beach volleyball’s ultimate superstar, sought autographs throughout the day. The crowd peaked during the semifinals and finals.

“It’s a small local’s beach, so to have that many people out enjoying a tournament like the ‘Mix’ was incredible,” Matt Olson said. “The energy was really awesome, just electric.”

How it played out:

In the finals, the Jennings and Olsons played a classic battle that took place as the sun set, leaving the standing room-only crowd in almost complete darkness. The Olsons led 14-12 at match point, but Kerri and Casey stormed back with a run of consecutive points to tie the game at 14-14. The Jennings went on to win 18-16 to take home the North County Championship. Quote of the day from Matt Olson after Walsh-Jennings made him pay for his strategy:

“She almost took my face off when I dropped (off the net) on a tight set late in the final…”

Final Four Results:

1st Place: Casey Jennings/Kerri Walsh-Jennings

2nd Place: Matt Olson/Lindsey Olson

3rd Place: Brad Keenan/April Ross; Billy Allen/Janelle Ruen

Worth mentioning:

--Dana Camacho aced Matt Olson three-times in a row with his dramatic sky ball after being down 10-3.

--Nichols lost 16-14 to Keenan and Ross in the quarter-finals. After taking more than four months off from the sport, Nichols used his experience and mastery of the “big” court to appear as though he never skipped a beat.

--Keenan/Ross and Jennings/Walsh-Jennings both played “straight up,” with the girls sharing their half of the court all day, including splitting duties at the net blocking.

End Result:

An incredible tournament and experience for every athlete and fan lucky enough to be involved. Expect the same next October for the 47th annual "Moonlight Mixed" beach volleyball tournament.

Thanks to Matt Olson for contributing this information.