Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz, playing for the Austin Aces, won the 2026 AVP League Championship in Chicago on September 6th, defeating Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson 15-10, 15-12. This victory follows their third consecutive Manhattan Beach Open title in August.
Prior to the championship match, Brasher and Cruz stated their goal at the beginning of the season was to win the Chicago title, and they had both written it down as a goal. They defeated Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft 15-8, 15-9 in the semifinals. The pair went undefeated in 18 matches at the Manhattan Beach Open across their three championship runs.
The team’s success is rooted in a philosophy established by their coach, Drew Hamilton, focused on “building a high floor.” Cruz explained this meant consistently performing at a reliable level, even beyond spectacular plays. “From the beginning with our coach Drew Hamilton, it was building the framework,” Cruz said. “And that was to always have our floor be at a certain level.”
Brasher described a previous disappointing finish in Chicago the prior year, motivating them to “really pinpoint that this weekend and really give it our all.” The AVP described Brasher and Cruz as the hottest team in the sport entering the Chicago championship.
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