Motherlode swings into volleyball history

Motherlode 2014 made volleyball history — in more ways than one.

The 43rd annual Mother Volleyball Classic in Aspen wrapped up with the traditional championship matches on Labor Day, including the featured finals of the Men’s Open and Women’s Open divisions.

With nearly 600 teams, the Motherlode attracted players from all across the country with divisional winners from California, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Nevada.

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The duo of Jessica Stubinski and Brooke Niles won the Women’s Open title in an entertaining and highly competitive final match.

Stubinski is from Houston; Niles is from El Segundo, California.

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They edged Amanda Wiggins and Lynne Galli in the Women’s Open final on center court at Koch Lumber Park. Galli is from San Diego. Wiggins is from Monument where she was a standout player on a Lewis-Palmer High School state championship volleyball team.

Texans Lauren Dickson and Jayna Duke, both from Austin, finished third.

The anticipated Men’s Open championship match took a turn for history when one of the protagonists opted to walk off the court while trailing in the match.

Gone.

No partner.

Game, set, match.

Although a volunteer from the crowd stepped in for the final closing points to allow the winners to successfully complete the match.

That made Cody Kessel and Skylar Del Sol — two Colorado leapers — the Men’s Open champions of Motherlode 2014.

Kessel, from Colorado Springs, is a former standout volleyball player at Princeton University.

Partner Del Sol, from Denver, sports one of the biggest vertical jumps on the sand volleyball circuit.

They defeated Vince Robbins of Aurora and Dana Camacho of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the abbreviated men’s final.

Jake Spencer of Riverton, Utah, and Kyle Smith of Salt Lake City finished third.

Here are the top finishers this year:

2014 MotherLode Volleyball Classic Results

Women’s Open

1. Jessica Stubinski (Houston, TX)/Brooke Niles (El Segundo, CA)

2. Amanda Wiggins (Monument, CO)/Lynne Galli (San Diego, CA)

3. Lauren Dickson (Austin, TX)/Jayna Duke (Austin, TX)

3. Traci Walsh (Bountiful, UT)/Angela Peterson (Linden, UT)

5. Leah Hinkey (Hermosa Beach, CA)/Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, CA)

5. Mallory Deneen (Santa Fe, NM)/Angela Knopf (Ft. Collins, CO)

7. Lindsay Rosenthal (Austin, TX)/Courtney Trevino (Austin, TX)

7. Heather Lorince (Denver, CO)/Jenna Branham (Denver, CO)

Men’s Open

1. Skylar Del Sol (Denver, CO)/Cody Kessel (Colorado Springs, CO)

2. Vince Robbins (Aurora, CO)/Dana Camacho (Ft. Lauderdale, CO)

3. Jake Spencer (Riverton, UT)/Kyle Smith (Salt Lake City, UT)

3. Derran Cannon (Salt Lake City, UT)/Duncan Budinger (Salt Lake City, UT)

5. John-Michael Plummer (Fort Walton Beach, FL)/Matt Blanke (New Orleans, LA)

5. John Moran (Redondo Beach, CA)/Adam Cabbage (Hermosa Beach, CA)

7. Andy McGuire (Manhattan Beach, CA)/Jon Mesko (Hermosa Beach, CA)

7. David Smith (Lakewood, CO)/Travis Schoonover (Santa Monica, CA)

Men’s A

1. Daniel Duran (Denver, CO)/Victor Villar (Denver, CO)

2. Gary Ang (Colorado Springs, CO)/Tim Kim (Denver, CO)

Women’s A

1. Wendi Snicale (Kansas City, MO)/Samantha Klump (Overland Park, KS)

2. Cat Weiser (Golden, CO)/Autumn Strawn (Cannelburg, IN)

Men’s BB

1. Tyler Niemack (Carbondale, CO)/Abel Galvan (Aspen, CO)

2. Jeff Sanders (Wichita, KS)/Steven Coffey (Wichita, KS)

Women’s BB

1. Aime Cordeiro (Loveland, CO)/Candice Brumit (Loveland, CO)

2 Jennie Malone (Rapid City, SD)/Madi Lane (Ft. Collins, CO)

Men’s B

1. Brent McDonald (Glenwood Springs, CO)/Brandon Kaysen (Santa Barbara, CA)

2. Jordan Buttner (Norfork, NE)/Adam Kuntz (Genoa, NE)

Women’s B

1. Kellen Hastings (San Luis Obispo, CA)/Leah Sully (Santa Barbara, CA)

2. Kendra Niederklein (Topeka, KS)/Kelli Berg (Boise, ID)

Co-Ed Open

1. Carrie Wright (Westlake Village, CA)/Drew Punjabi (Kansas City, KS)

2. Lauren Dickson (Austin, TX)/Jeff Samuels (Grand Blanc, MI)

Co-Ed A

1. Holly Allman (Albuquerque, NM)/Jonathan Lambert (Tijeras, NM)

2. Autumn Strawn (Cannelburg, IN)/Brian Wade (Loogootee, IN)

Co-Ed BB

1. Jessi Thomsen (Omaha, NE)/Jeremy Young (Omaha, NE)

2. Rachel Sang (Edina, MN)/Josh Friesz (Edina, MN)

Co-Ed B

1. Julie Delzeit (Las Vegas, NV)/Andy Kirk (Las Vegas, NV)

2. Louise Voss (Black River Falls, WI)/Rob Voss (Black River Falls, WI)

Reverse Co-Ed A

1. Samantha Klump (Kansas City, MO)/Justin Keeton (Kansas City, MO)

Reverse Co-Ed B

1. Emma Oliver (Austin, TX)/Austin Glass (Austin, TX)

2. Nicole Mertens (Portland, OR)/Caleb Sommer (Denver, CO)

MotherLode Masters DiG Magazine National Championships

Men’s 60’s

1. Jon Lee (Santa Barbara, CA)/Dan Salyer (Los Osos, CA)

2. Chris Savard (Denver, CO)/Dennis Dempsey (Denver, CO)

Men’s 55’s

1. Rocky Basille (Denver, CO)/Chris Stroup (Denver, CO)

2. Kent Kitchell (Aptos, CA)/Greg Brindle (Dallas, TX)

Men’s 50’s

1. Kenny Lentin (La Jolla, CA)/Tom Witt (Scottsdale, CA)

2. Rue Green (Elizabeth, CO)/Steve Schmidt (Castle Rock, CO)

Men’s 45’s

1. Kenny Lentin (La Jolla, CA)/Tom Witt (Scottsdale, CA)

2. Doug Krutzikowsky (Santa Cruz, CA)/Jeff LaBerge (Santa Cruz, CA)

Men’s 37’s

1. David Smith (Lakewood, CO)/John Moran (Redondo Beach, CA)

2. Colin Kaslow (Austin, TX)/Tim Wooliver (Austin, TX)

Women’s 45’s

1. Kris Bredehoft (Englewood, CO)/Wendy Lockhart (St. Pete’s Beach, FL)

2. Ilga Celmins (Aptos, CA)/Jackie Campbell (Santa Barbara, CA)

Women’s 35’s

1. Kris Bredehoft (Englewood, CO)/Pam Sorenson (Brighton, CO)

2. Carrie Wright (Westlake Village, CA)/Valinda Hillary (Newport Beach, CA)

2014 MotherLode “Festival” Division

Men’s A

1. Rob Westgate (Chicago, IL)/David Joyce (Chicago, IL)

Women’s A

1. Dustina Bitten (Aurora, CO)/Tagen Bierley (Colorado Springs, CO)

Men’s BB

1. Javier Rodriquez (Albuquerque, NM)/Srdjan Suton (Albuquerque, NM)

Women’s BB

1. Marina Daniel (Hermosa Beach, CA)/Sarah Cannon (Salt Lake City, UT)

Men’s B

1. Cory House (Glenwood Springs, CO)/Jordan House (Ft. Collins, CO)

Women’s B

1. Heather Heffernan (Council Bluffs, IA)/Kali Brayfield (Omaha, NE)