JEFF LOUGHLIN photos/The Patriot Ledger

Nicole Branagh celebrates a game tying point in the third set during the AVP Crocs women's championship match held at Marina Bay in Quincy.

By NATE CROSSMAN
For The Patriot Ledger

Elaine Youngs serves the ball.

QUINCY - The sun was shining yesterday at Marina Bay, the rock and rap music was blaring once again and bikini-clad cheerleaders were dancing and tossing T-shirts into the crowd of approximately 3,500.

To be sure, the AVP Boston Open, professional volleyball’s first event in Massachusetts in more than a decade, will be best remembered for turning the parking lot in front of WaterWorks into a three-day long, California beach-themed festival for all the senses.

Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, however, ensured that it will also be remembered for what happened on the court.

Branagh and Youngs pulled off the biggest upset on the Crocs Cup Tour this season, beating Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in three sets, 15-21, 21-19, 16-14. It’s the first time May-Treanor and Walsh have lost in a final match since July 2006, a streak that included 21 championships.

“We had a lot of heart and desire today, and it worked out for us against a pretty unbeatable team,” said Youngs, who along with Branagh has finished second to May-Treanor and Walsh five times this season, including last weekend in the Manhattan Beach Open. “This is another huge confidence booster. If we can do this to their team, it’s going to set us up well against other teams.”

May-Treanor and Walsh breezed through the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and it appeared as though they’d do the same against Branagh and Youngs after winning the first set. Even when Branagh and Youngs pushed May-Treanor and Walsh to a third set, the odds were squarely on the side of the reigning Olympic gold medalists. May-Treanor and Walsh entered the final 14-1 this season in three-set matches and 72-10 since 2003. May-Treanor and Walsh, however, wilted down the stretch, succumbing to Branagh and Youngs energy and their own unforced errors.

“We just had too many errors, especially in the second game,” Walsh said. “Those are big points, and we could have earned them. That was the difference today.”

Trailing by a set, Branagh and Youngs made a tactical adjustment during the intermission, which allowed the 6-2 Branagh more room to operate around the net against the 6-3 Walsh. Branagh took advantage, unleashing vicious spikes that not only eluded Walsh but steered clear of May-Treanor, who’s known for her ability to dig the ball out of the sand. The move also helped Youngs, who can hit it hard but used several finesse taps to score points.

The pair also benefited from an overturned call. Leading 17-14, Branagh hit a ball that was initially ruled out. But after a long discussion the call was overturned, making it 18-14. May-Treanor and Walsh would cut the deficit to one, but Youngs tied the match on a soft tap past May-Treanor.

Although Branagh and Youngs had three times as many service errors as their opponent (9-3), May-Treanor believed serving was more of a factor then Branagh and Youngs’ strategy.

“We’re used to them switching off and things,” May-Treanor said, “but when they’re hot serving like that, you have to bear down and make good passes.”

Elaine Youngs accepts congratulations from fans after winning the match.

May-Treanor and Walsh took an early third-set lead, but Branagh and Youngs came back to tie it at 10-10, then went ahead for good 11-10.

With the score tied 14-14, Youngs gave Branagh instructions that proved to be prophetic.

“She said, ‘I want this side-out and I want to serve (for the match) from over here,’” said Branagh, who picked up the third win of her career. “I got up there to block and I said to myself, ‘come on,’ and she did it.”

Youngs’ serve landed to the left of Walsh, giving Youngs her fourth ace of the game and her team its third win of the season.

“To be perfectly honest, I said I’m going to ace Kerri Walsh on that last ball,” said Youngs, who picked up the 38th win over her career.

“I hadn’t served to her the whole time, I saw an opening and I went for it.

“I want the ball at the end of a match, jump serving, and I don’t think a lot of teams want me serving to them.”