WPVA - Orlando, Florida - May 9-11, 1997

SUNDAYS RESULTS

KIRBY/RENO WIN CYBERGENICS OPEN/Beach Volleyball at Disney

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - It was another day of upsets here Sunday (May 11) as second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno captured the $60,000 Cybergenics Open in the inaugural professional beach volleyball event at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

With the finals being televised the same day by ABC Sports, Kirby and Reno won the $14,100 first-place prize by downing 31st-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson 15-11 in the championship match in the third of 14 events on the 1997 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.

The Cybergenics Open featured 23 upsets in 63 matches as top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak were eliminated first thing Sunday as they dropped a 16-14 match to Kirby and Reno in the contender's bracket final.

The fifth-place finish by the Arce/McPeak tandem was their worst finish in 15 professional starts together, including 10 Evian Tour events. Prior to the Cybergenics Open, Arce and McPeak had won five of the last six Evian tournaments.

Arce and McPeak, who have won the last three Evian Tour events, dropped a 15-6 decision to eighth-seeded Natalie Cook and Liz Masakayan Saturday in the championship bracket quarter-finals.

Kirby and Reno scored a 15-6 win over fifth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock to advance to their second Evian Tour final in 1997. The Cybergenics Open was the eighth pro title for the Kirby/Reno tandem, including five Evian crowns.

Davis and Johnson, the daughter of the 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist in the decathlon (Rafer), scored seven-straight upsets in the Cybergenics Open to earn the best finish by a qualifying team in Evian Tour history.

The first African-American and youngest team ever to play for a pro beach volleyball title (both Davis and Johnson are 23) advanced to Sunday's final with a 15-13 win over 1996 Olympians Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley. Davis and Johnson split $10,500 for second.

Davis and Johnson started Sunday by eliminating eighth-seeded Natalie Cook, who won the bronze medal for Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with Keri Pottharst, and Liz Masakayan 15-13. Johnson will be married next Saturday (May 17) to NFL wide receiver Kevin Jordan in Bel Air, Calif.

In the third-place match, Poppinga and Rock downed Fontana and Hanley 16-14. Fontana and Hanley, who had defeated Kirby and Reno here Saturday 15-10, split $5,100 for fourth while Poppinga and Rock shared $7,500 for their best 1997 Evian Tour finish. Here's Sunday's (May 11) results:

Contender's Bracket, sixth-round (winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals; losers eliminated, place 5th, split $3,600) - Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno,l Glen Ellyn, Ill. (No. 2-seeded) def, Kisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (1), 16-14; Annett Davis, Tarzana, Calif./Jenny Johnson, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (31) def. Natalie Cook, Brisbane, Australia/Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif. (8), 15-13; Olympic Crossing semi-finals - Kirby/Reno def. Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (5), 15-6; Davis/J. Johnson def. Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3), 15-13; Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place third, split $7,500; losers place fourth, split $5,100) - Poppinga/Rock def. Fontana/Hanley, 16-14; Olympic Crossing finals (winners place first, split $14,100; losers place second, split $10,500) - Kirby/Reno def. Davis/J. Johnson, 15-11.

                                     Cybergenics Open
                         May 9-11, 1997 at Disney's Wide World of Sports
complex
                                         Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
                                 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour
                                           TOURNAMENT SUMMARY

RANK   TEAM (overall seed; q=qualifying seed)
W-L        POINTS         MONEY
 1st   Karolyn Kirby\Nancy Reno (2)
6-1            80       $14,100
 2nd   Annett Davis\Jenny Johnson (31)
7-2            72       $10,500
 3rd   Karrie Poppinga\Angela Rock (5)
5-1            64        $7,500
 4th   Barbra Fontana\Linda Hanley (3)
4-2            56        $5,100
 5th   Lisa Arce\Holly McPeak (1)
4-2            48        $3,600
       Natalie Cook\Liz Masakayan (8)
3-2            48        $3,600
 7th   Elaine Roque\Dennie Shupryt-Knoop (4)
3-2            40        $2,400
       Pat Keller\Marla O'Hara (11)
3-2            40        $2,400
 9th   Lynda Johnson\Jeanne Reeves (19)
3-2            32        $1,650
       Jennifer Meredith\Leanne Schuster (18)
3-2            32        $1,650
       Danalee Bragado\Christine Schaefer (7)
2-2            32        $1,650
       Jackie Campbell\Charlotte Roach (13)
3-2            32        $1,650
13th   Gail Castro\Gayle Stammer (6)
2-2            24        $1,050
       Julie James\Jeanette Kollasch (28)
2-2            24        $1,050
       Krista Blomquist\Cammy Ciarelli (9)
2-2            24        $1,050
       Linda Chisholm\Deb Richardson (12)
2-2            24        $1,050
17th   Evelyn Conley\Erin Deiters (16)
1-2            16
       Alicia Chung\Ana Franca (24)
1-2            16
       Wendy Fletcher\Ali Wood (10)
1-2            16
       Stephanie Cox\Katy Eldridge (36, 8)
1-2            16
       Liz Pagano\Kristen Schritter (17)
1-2            16
       Mary Baily\Helen Reale (22)
1-2            16
       Stacey Kammes\Amy Matthews (26)
1-2            16
       Nancy Mason\Monique Oliver (15)
1-2            16
25th   Sandy Matthes\Keri Pier (40, 12)
0-2             8
       Carrie Busch\Veronica Sanchez (25)
0-2             8
       Marsha Miller\Shaney Fink (21)
0-2             8
       Rhonda Kottke\Darina Staneva (20)
0-2             8
       Valinda Hilleary\Beth Schuler (14)
0-2             8
       Kristine Middeler\Michelle Morse (27)
0-2             8
       Michal Clingman\Gina Pillitiere (23)
0-2             8
       Julie Sprague\Shana Wilson (30, 2)
0-2             8

AUSTIN NEXT

The Evian Tour returns to Austin, Tex. for the seventh-straight season next weekend (May 16-18) at Emerald Point on Lake Travis. The fifth-most popular site on the Evian Tour, the WPVA Austin Open will be staged at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club at the Marina (5971 Hi Line Road, 512/266-1683 or 266-1685). Located next to Carlos n'Charlie's on Lake Travis, the event is the fourth of 14 stops for the 1997 Evian Tour. The three-day WPVA Austin Open is a "modified" double-elimination event. Depending on the number of entries, a qualifying session is scheduled for 8 a.m. (CDT) Friday (May 16) at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club to determine the final four seeded tandems in the 32-team main draw. Championship competition starts at 1 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday. Twelve (12) teams advance to competition Sunday starting at 8 a.m. The final four starts at 11:30 a.m. Sunday 2 with the tournament finale set for 3 p.m.

SATURDAYS RESULTS

UPSET-FILLED CYBERGENICS OPEN DOWN TO SIX TEAMS/Beach Volleyball at Disney

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - In a tournament full of upsets, six teams are left in the $60,000 Cybergenics Open entering Sunday's (May 11) final rounds in the inaugural professional beach volleyball event at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

Action Sunday starts at 9 a.m. (EDT) at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. The championship finals of the third Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour event of 1997 is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sunday as the final two teams battle for the $14,100 first-place prize. ABC Sports will air the finals from 5-6 p.m.(EDT) Sunday.

Top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak remain in the competition despite having their 13-match winning streak ended here Saturday (May 10), but rookie performers Annette Davis and Jenny Johnson have made the biggest impact with five upset wins this weekend.

Arce and McPeak, who have won the last three Evian Tour events, dropped a 15-6 decision to eighth-seeded Natalie Cook and Liz Masakayan in the championship bracket quarter-finals. However, the Arce/McPeak tandem came back to down 18th-seeded Jennifer Meredith and Leanne Schuster (15-2 in 10 minutes) and fourth-seeded Elaine Roque and Dennie Shupryt-Knoop 15-11 to advance to Sunday's competition.

Davis and Johnson, the daughter of the 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist in the decathlon (Rafer) advanced to Sunday's action with a 15-9 win over 11th-seeded Pat Keller and Marla O'Hara. Seeded 31st in the competition, Davis and Johnson face Cook and Masakayan at approximately 10 a.m. (EDT) Sunday.

Arce and McPeak play second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno at 9 a.m. Sunday in the battle of the Women's Professional Volleyball Association's top two ranked teams. The winner of the match will play fifth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock at approximately 11 a.m. in the first of two Olympic Crossing semi-final matches.

Olympians Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley, who have won four- straight matches here this weekend as the third-seeded team in the Cybergenics Open, play either Davis/Johnson or Cook/Masakayan at noon Sunday.

Cook, who won the bronze medal for Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with Keri Pottharst, and Masakayan's upset over Arce and McPeak was the first-time in 61 Evian Tour events that a top- seeded team was upset in the championship bracket quarter-finals.

The 1992 tandem of Fontana/Deb Richardson scored a 15-10 championship bracket semi-final win over Kirby and Reno, the No. 1- seeded team at the 1992 U. S. Open in Venice, Calif. (August 1).

Here's Saturday's (May 10) results:

Championship bracket, quarter-finals - Natalie Cook, Brisbane, Australia/Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif. (No. 8-seeded) def. Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (No. 1), 15-6; Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (5) def. Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (4), 15-3; Barbra Fontana, ManhattanBeach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3) def. Pat Keller, Sarasota, Fla./Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif. (11), 16- 14; Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (7), 15-8.

Championship Bracket, semi-finals (winners advance to Sunday's Olympic Crossing semi-finals) - Poppinga/Rock def. Cook/Masakayan, 16-14; Fontana/Hanley def. Kirby/Reno, 15-10.

Contender's Bracket, second-round (losers eliminated, place 17th) - Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. (19) def. Evelyn Conley, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc. (16), 15-6; Gail Castro, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./Gayle Stammer, San Antonio, Tex. (6) def. Alicia Chung, Santa Monica, Calif./Ana Franca, Los Angeles, Calif. (24), 15-11; Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. (28) def. Wendy Fletcher, Redondo Beach, Calif./Ali Wood, Redondo Beach, Calif. (10), 15-7; Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz. (18) def. Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma, Calif. (36), 15-10; Annette Davis, Tarzana, Calif./Jenny Johnson, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (31) def. Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash./Kristen Schritter, Omaha, Neb. (17), 15-8; Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Cammy Ciarelli, Huntington Beach, Calif. (9) def. Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. (22), 15-10; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (12) def. Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Amy Matthews, Guonee, Ill. (26), 15-3; Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Charlotte Roach, Santa Barbara, Calif. (13) def. Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill./Monique Oliver, Santa Monica, Calif. (15), 15-10.

Contender's Bracket, third-round (losers eliminated, place 13th, split $1,050) - L. Johnson/Reeves def. Castro/Stammer, 16-14; Meredith/Schuster def. James/Kollasch, 15-6; Davis/J. Johnson def. Blomquist/Ciarelli, 15-9; Campbell/Roach def. Chisholm/Richardson. 15-10.

Contender's Bracket, fourth-round (losers place ninth, split $1,650) - Roque/Shupryt-Knoop def. L. Johnson/Reeves, 15-7; Arce/McPeak def. Meredith/Schuster, 15-2; Davis/J. Johnson def. Bragado/Schaefer, 15-10; Keller/O'Hara def. Campbell/Roach, 15-6. Contender's Bracket, fifth-round (losers eliminated, place seventh, split $2,400) - Arce/McPeak def. Roque/Shupryt-Knoop, 15-11; Davis/J. Johnson def. Keller/O'Hara, 15-9.

Here's Sunday's schedule:

Contender's Bracket, sixth-round (Sunday, 9 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals; losers eliminated, place 5th, split $3,600); Arce/McPeak vs. Kirby/Reno; Davis/Johnson vs. Cook/Masakayan; Olympic Crossing semi-finals (Sunday, 11 a.m.) - Poppinga/Rock vs. Arce/McPeak or Kirby/Reno; Fontana/Hanley vs. Cook/Masakayan or Davis/Johnson Olympic Crossing consolation (Sunday, 1 p.m., winners place third, split $7,500; losers place fourth, split $5,100); Olympic Crossing finals (Sunday, 2:30 p.m., winners place first, split $14,100; losers place second, split $10,500).

FRIDAYS RESULTS

KELLER/O'HARA SCORE UPSET - CYBERGENICS OPEN/Beach Volleyball at Disney

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - Pat Keller and Marla O'Hara scored one of Friday's (May 9) biggest upsets at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex as the 11th-seeded team in the $60,000 Cybergenics Open downed highly-regarded Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer 15-12 in a championship bracket second-round match.

Keller, a Sarasota, Fla. prepster that played at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and O'Hara face Olympians Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley in one of four champiionship bracket quarter-final matches Saturday.

Castro, who competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and Stammer finished second in the last Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour at Deerfield Beach, Fla. (April 20). With the defeat, Castro and Stammer play one of Saturday's opening round at 8 a.m. against 24th-seeded Alicia Chung and Ana Franca.

Led by the No. 1-seeded tandem of Lisa Arce/Holly McPeak, seven of the top eight seeded teams advanced to the championship bracket quarter-finals. Arce and McPeak, who have won the first two Evian Tour events this season, downed 40th-seeded Sandy Matthes and Keri Pier 15-5 and 17th-seeded Liz Pagano and Kristen Schritter 15-4.

Arce and McPeak will face eighth-seeded Natalie Cook and Liz Masakayan at approximately 10 a.m. Saturday. Cook won the bronze medal for Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with Kerri Pottharst by downing Evian Tour veterans Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley 12-11 and 12-7 in the third-place Olympic match.

Twenty-four teams advanced to Saturday's play in the inaugural beach volleyball event at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex starting at 8 a.m. Sunday's final rounds starts at 9 a.m.

The championship finals of the third Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour event of 1997 is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Sunday as the final two teams battle for the $14,100 first-place prize. ABC Sports will air the finals from 5-6 p.m. Sunday.

Lynda Johnson and Jeanne Reeves, the 19th-seeded team, scored the biggest upset in the first-round of the championship bracket with a 15-5 win over 14th-seeded Valinda Hilleary and Beth Schuler, who tied for seventh in the last Evian event at Deerfield Beach, Fla. April 20.

Other seed break-throughs were by 18th-seeded Jennifer Meredith and Leanne Schuster, and 17th-seeded Liz Pagano and Kristen Schritter. The Meredith/Schuster team downed 15th-seeded Nancy Mason and Monique Oliver 15-6 while Pagano and Schritter rallied from a 12-3 deficit to down 16th-seeded Evelyn Conley and Erin Deiters 15-12.

Here's Friday's (May 9) results:

Championship bracket, first-round - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (No. 1-seeded) def. Sandy Matthes, Aurora, Colo./Keri Pier, Torrance, Calif. (40), 15- 5; Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash./Kristen Schritter, Omaha, Neb. (17) def. Evelyn Conley, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc. (16), 15-12; Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Cammy Ciarelli, Huntington Beach, Calif. (9) def. Alicia Chung, Santa Monica, Calif./Ana Franca, Los Angeles, Calif. (24), 15-0; Natalie Cook, Brisbane, Australia/Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif. (8) def. Carrie Busch, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Veronica Sanchez, Santa Monica, Calif. (25), 15-3; Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (5) def. Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. (28), 15-7; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (12) def. Marsha Miller, Henrietta, N. Y./Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif. (21), 15-1; Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Charlotte Roach, Santa Barbara, Calif. (13) def. Rhonda Kottke, Minneapolis, Minn./Darina Staneva, Las Vegas, Nev. (20), 15-9; Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (4) def. Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma, Calif. (36), 15-1; Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3) def. Annette Davis, Tarzana, Calif./Jenny Johnson, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (31), 15-10; Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. (19) def. Valinda Hilleary, Littleton, Colo./Beth Schuler, Southfield, Mich. (14), 15-5; Pat Keller, Sarasota, Fla./Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif. (11) def. Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. (22), 15-4; Gail Castro, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./Gayle Stammer, San Antonio, Tex. (6) def. Kristine Middeler, Columbus, Ohio/Michelle Morse, Fort Rucker, Ala. (27), 15-3; Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (7) def. Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Amy Matthews, Guonee, Ill. (26), 15-5; Wendy Fletcher, Redondo Beach, Calif./Ali Wood, Redondo Beach, Calif. (10) def. Michal Clingman, Jet, Okla./Gina Pillitiere, Akron, Ohio (23), 15-0; Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz. (18) def. Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill./Monique Oliver, Santa Monica, Calif. (15), 15-6; Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek, Calif./Shana Wilson, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (30), 15-7. Championship Bracket, second-round - Arce/McPeak def. Pagano/Schritter, 15-4; Cook/Masakayan def. Blomquist/Ciarelli, 15-9; Poppinga/Rock def. Chisholm/Richardson, 15-13; Roque/Shupryt- Knoop def. Campbell Roach, 15-5; Fontana/Hanley def. L. Johnson/Reeves, 15-4; Keller/O'Hara def. Castro/Stammer, 15-13; Bragado/Schaefer def. Fletcher/Wood, 15-13; Kirby/Reno def. Meredith/Schuster, 15-7. Contender's Bracket, first-round (losers eliminated, place 25th) - Conley/Deiters def. Matthes/Pier, 15-13; Chung/Franca def. Busch/Sanchez, 15-4; James/Kollasch def. Miller/Fink, 15-9; Cox/Eldridge def. Kottke/Staneva, 15-5; Davis/J. Johnson def. Hilleary/Schuler, 15-3; Baily/Reale def. Middeler/Morse, 15-7; Kammes/Matthews def. Clingman/Pillitiere, 15- 7; Mason/Oliver def. Sprague/Wilson, 15-11.

Here's Saturday's schedule:

Contender's Bracket, second-round (Saturday, 8 a.m., losers place 17th) - Conley/Deiters vs. L. Johnson/Reeves; Chung/Franca vs. Castro/Stammer; James/Kollasch vs. Fletcher/Wood; Cox/Eldridge vs. Meredith/Schuster; Davis/J. Johnson vs. Pagano/Schritter; Baily/Reale vs. Blomquist/Ciarelli; Kammes/Matthews vs. Chisholm/Richardson; Mason/Oliver vs. Campbell/Roach; Championship Bracket, third-round (Saturday, 10 a.m.) - Arce/McPeak vs. Cook/Masakayan; Poppinga/Rock vs. Roque/Shupryt-Knoop; Fontana/Hanley vs. Keller/O'Hara; Bragado/Schaefer vs. Kirby/Reno; Contender's Bracket, third-round (Saturday, 11 a.m., losers place 13th, split $1,050); Contender's Bracket, fourth-round (Saturday, 1 p.m., losers place ninth, split $1,650); Championship Bracket, fourth-round (Saturday, 2 p.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals); Contender's Bracket, fifth-round (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., losers eliminated, place seventh, split $2,400).

Here's Sunday's schedule:

Contender's Bracket, sixth-round (Sunday, 9 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals; losers eliminated, place 5th, split $3,600); Olympic Crossing semi-finals (Sunday, 11 a.m.); Olympic Crossing consolation (Sunday, 1 p.m., winners place third, split $7,500; losers place fourth, split $5,100); Olympic Crossing finals (Sunday, 2:30 p.m., winners place first, split $14,100; losers place second, split $10,500).

QUALIFYING - CYBERGENICS OPEN

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - Sixteen (16) teams will be qualifying here Thursday (May 8) at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex for the final four main draw spots in weekend's $60,000 Cybergencis Open.

The third Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour of 1997 opens with 26 qualifying matches Thursday at 9 a.m. (EDT) at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando.

The tandems of Annette Davis/Jenny Johnson and Ellen Borske/Christine Federico will be trying to extend their unbeaten streak in Evian Tour qualifying this season. Both teams have won six-straight matches each in the first two WPVA events this season at Miami Beach and Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Both teams posted impressive finishes at the Deerfield event (April 19-20) as Davis/Johnson tied for seventh with four upset match wins. Borske/Federico tied for 13th, including a 15-13 upset win over second-seeded Karolyn Kirby/Nancy Reno.

Led by the top-ranked tandem of Lisa Arce/Holly McPeak, 28 teams have been seeded into the opening round of championship competition at 9 a.m. Friday. Play continues Saturday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Six (6) teams advance to Sunday's final rounds starting at 9 a.m. with the finals scheduled for 2:30 p.m. as the final two teams battling for the $14,100 first-place prize. ABC Sports will air the finals at 5-6 p.m. Sunday. Here are the qualifying teams:

 1.    Lucy Han, Santa Monica, Calif./Maggie Philgence, St. Lucia
       Castries, V. I.
 2.    Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek, Calif./Shana Wilson, Laguna
       Niguel, Calif.
 3.    Annette Davis, Tarzana, Calif./Jenny Johnson, Sherman Oaks,
       Calif.
 4.    Erin Borske, Orland Park, Ill./Christine Federico, Plainfield,
       Ill.
 5.    Wendy Martin, Antioch, Tenn./Teri Van Dyke, Nashville, Tenn.
 6.    Shannon Misek, Denver, Colo./Carrie Romer, Arvada, Colo.
 7.    Michon Lubbers, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Lynda Street, Jupiter,
       Fla.
 8.    Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma,
       Calif.
 9.    Bonnie Levin, Miami, Fla./Luciana Louriero, Miami, Fla.
10.    Jennifer Marzahl, Houston, Tex./Valerie Duringer, Redondo
       Beach, Calif.
11.    Deanna Johnson, San Diego, Calif./Gracie Santana, San Diego,
       Calif.
12.    Sandy Matthes, St. Louis, Mo./Keri Pier, Torrance, Calif.
13.    Connie Armstrong, Ormond Beach, Fla./Gail Bullis, Ormond
       Beach, Fla.
14.    Robin Kibben, Lake Worth, Fla./Jill Stephens, Fort Lauderdale,
       Fla.
15.    Julie Chapman, Orlando, Fla./Jenny Cobb, Orlando, Fla.
16.    Kim Blankinship, Torrance, Calif./Suzanne Radcliffe, Torrance,
       Calif.

ARCE/MCPEAK NO. 1 The tandem of Lisa Arce/Holly McPeak are the top-seeded team on the Evian Tour as the pair will be trying to win their fourth-straight domestic title this weekend at the $60,000 Cybergenics Open. With Sunday being "Mother's Day", the Evian Tour will be recognizing 10 participating mothers (*WPVA moms) in the Cybergenics Open.

 1.    Lisa Arce/Holly McPeak
 2.    Karolyn Kirby/Nancy Reno
 3.    Barbra Fontana/Linda Hanley*
 4.    Elaine Roque/Dennie Shupryt-Knoop*
 5.    Karrie Poppinga/Angela Rock
 6.    Gail Castro*/Gayle Stammer
 7.    Danalee Bragado/Christine Schaefer
 8.    Natalie Cook/Liz Masakayan
 9.    Krista Blomquist/Cammy Ciarelli*
10.    Wendy Fletcher/Ali Wood
11.    Pat Keller/Marla O'Hara*
12.    Linda Chisholm/Deb Richardson
13.    Jackie Campbell/Charlotte Roach*
14.    Valinda Hilleary/Beth Schuler
15.    Nancy Mason/Monique Oliver
16.    Evelyn Conley/Erin Deiters
17.    Liz Pagano/Kristen Schritter
18.    Jennifer Meredith/Leanne Schuster
19.    Lynda Johnson/Jeanne Reeves*
20.    Rhonda Kottke/Darina Staneva*
21.    Marsha Miller/Shaney Fink
22.    Mary Baily*/Helen Reale*
23.    Michal Clingman/Gina Pillitiere
24.    Alicia Chung/Ana Franca
25.    Carrie Busch/Veronica Sanchez
26.    Stacey Kammes/Amy Matthews
27.    Kristine Middeler/Michelle Morse
28.    Julie James/Jeanette Kollasch

44 BEACH VOLLEYBALL TANDEMS ENTER CYBERGENICS OPEN

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. - Led by Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak, 44 teams have entered this weekend's $60,000 Cybergenics Open as the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour stages its first-ever event in Orlando, Fla.

Arce and McPeak, who have captured the first two events of 1997 in Florida, are the Women's Professional Volleyball Associations's top-ranked team as the pair has won five of the last six Evian Tour tournaments.

ABC Sports, who will be airing six Evian Tour events this season, will provide same-day coverage of the title match from 5-6 p.m. (EDT). There is an $8 charge for general admission to Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

The Cybergenics Open, the third of 14 stops for the 1997 Evian Tour, opens at 8 a.m. (EDT) Thursday (May 8) with a 16-team, 26- match qualifying session to determine the final four berths in the 32-team main draw at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex.

Following Thursday's qualifying, WPVA veterans Pat Keller and Ali Wood will join forces with Alberto VO5 to stage a beach volleyball clinic Thursday at 4 p.m. at the tournament site. The skills clinic is open for both women and men of all ages.

Competition in the Cybergenics Open's double-elimination main draw starts at 9 a.m., Friday with 32 matches, including 24 matches in the championship bracket and eight in the contender's bracket. Twenty-four (24) matches will be played Saturday starting at 8 a.m.

Six teams advance to Sunday's final rounds with two contender's bracket matches at 9 and 10 a.m. Olympic Crossing semi-finals matches are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. The third-place match is scheduled for 1 p.m. followed by the championship finals with the top two teams batting for the $14,100 first-place prize.

The Cybergenics Open marks the 1997 Evian Tour debut for both Natalie Cook of Australia and Liz Masakayan. Cook and Kerri Pottharst won the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic. Masakayan, who has been slowed by knee surgeries, has won 32 WPVA titles and $276,158 in earnings.

With Florida titles at Miami Beach and Deerfield Beach, the Arce/McPeak tandem have now won six championships in nine Evian Tour career starts as the pair has overtaken Olympians Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley as the WPVA's top-seeded team.

Arce and McPeak will be seeking to become the first team to win four-straight WPVA titles together since the McPeak/Nancy Reno team won four-straight crowns at the end of 1995.

The Arce/McPeak tandem have beaten three different teams in their last Evian Tour title matches starting with a 15-7 victory over Fontana and Hanley in the 1996 season finale at Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawaii.

McArce captured the first two Evian Tour events this season by defeating Karolyn Kirby and Reno 15-12 to in Miami Beach April 6, and Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer 15-9 to capture Deerfield Beach April 20.

Arce and McPeak played three events last spring by winning in Puerto Rico to become the youngest-team ever to win an Evian Tour event as both were 26. Following the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the pair joined forces again by winning three of the last four events of the 1997 season.

The 90.7 winning percentage (49-5) by the Arce/McPeak tandem is the third-best in Evian Tour history behind Linda Chisholm/Jackie Silva (95.4, 83-4 in 17 events, 15 titles in 1987 and 1988) and Kirby/Liz Masakayan (90.9, 180-18 in 33 events, 26 titles in 1993-95).

The first two Evian Tour events of 1997 have produced surprised finishes as Arce and McPeak have been the team among the top four- seeded teams at an event to advance to the Olympic Crossing semi- final rounds.

The Miami Beach "surprise" break-through teams to the final rounds were 12th-seeded Krista Blomquist/Cammy Ciarelli and 15th-seeded Linda Chisholm/Deb Richardson. Both teams reached the Olympic Crossing rounds with 4-0 match marks as Blomquist and Ciarelli upset the fifth-, fourth and top-seeded teams, including a 15-8 win over Arce and McPeak.

Arce and McPeak avenged their only 1997 domestic defeat by downing Blomquist and Ciarelli 15-10 in the Olympic Crossing semi-finals at Miami Beach. Blomquist and Ciarelli rebounded to defeat Chisholm and Richardson 17-15 in the third-place match.

The seventh-seeded Castro/Stammer tandem was the "surprise" team in Deerfield Beach as pair upset second-seeded Fontana/Hanley 15-11, sixth-seeded Danalee Bragado/Christine Schaefer 15-12 and fifth- seeded Elaine Roque/Dennis Shupryt-Knoop 15-11 enroute to championship finals. Bragado and Schaefer captured third-place in Deerfield with a 15-3 win over Roque and Shupryt-Knoop.

Fontana and Hanley, who entered the season as the Evian Tour's top- ranked team, has fallen into the third-spot after finishing fifth and ninth, respectively, in the first two events this season. The pair won four events last season along with placing fourth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

EVIAN TOUR MAKES ORLANDO DEBUT;
CYBERGENICS OPEN AT DISNEY'S SPORT COMPLEX

EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. - The Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour makes its initial visit to Orlando May 8-11 for the inaugural Cybergenics Open at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. The event is the third of 14 stops for the Evian Tour as the Women's Professional Volleyball Association opens its 11th-season of operation with three-straight tournaments in the state of Florida. The Cybergenics Open starts with qualifying rounds at 1 p.m. (EDT), May 8 to determine the final four berths in the 32-team main draw. Competition in the double-elimination main draw starts at 9 a.m., May 9 with 32 matches. Twenty-four (24) matches will be played May 10 starting 8 a.m., May 10 with six teams advancing to the May 11's final rounds. The contender's bracket semi-finals will be played at 9 a.m., May 11 followed by the Olympic Crossing semi-finals at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. The championship finals are set for at 2 p.m., May 11 with ABC Sports providing same-day coverage of the title match at 5 p.m. There is an $8 charge for general admission to Disney's Wide World of Sports complex as play will be held on three courts. Fans can call 1-800-393-WPVA for more information on the Evian Tour.