AUSTIN, TEX.- Top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak rebounded from their worst finish last week in Florida to capture their third Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour of 1997 here Sunday (May 18) to share the $11,000 first-place prize for winning the $50,000 WPVA Austin Open at the Emerald Point Pro Beach Volleyball Club on Lake Travis.
Arce and McPeak, who finished fifth at the Cybergenics Open May 11 at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., downed third-seeded Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley 18-16, in an 84 side-out, 74-minute championship final of the seventh annual WPVA Austin Open.
The win was Arce and McPeak's sixth-straight of the weekend as the pair posted their eighth pro beach volleyball win together. The Women's Professional Volleyball Association's top-ranked team has now won six of the last eight Evian Tour events, including three of four this season.
Arce and McPeak, who now have a 23-3 match mark this season, advanced to the finals with a 15-7 win over fifth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock. Fontana and Hanley, who shared $8,100 for Sunday's second-place, earned a spot in the finals with a 15-13 win over fourth-seeded Elaine Roque and Dennie Shupryt-Knoop.
It was the fifth time that the two teams were matched against each other in a championship finale with Arce and McPeak winning four times in title meetings against Fontana and Hanley, the top finishing Evian Tour team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with a fourth-place.
The title was also McPeak's third-straight in Austin as she won the 1995 and 1996 championships with Nancy Reno, who finished fifth in this year's event with Karolyn Kirby. Overall, McPeak has now won 42 pro beach volleyball events and Arce eight.
Poppinga and Rock placed third for the second-straight week by
downing Roque and Shupryt-Knoop 15-13. The winners split $5,700
for third-place while Roque and Shupryt-Knoop shared $4,100 for
fourth. Echo Entertainment of Encino, Calif., taped the WPVA
Austin Open for replay next week on the FOX Sports Network.
Championship bracket, semi-finals (winners advance to Olympic
Crossing semi-finals) - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly
McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (No. 1-seeded) def. Elaine Roque,
Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (4), 15-4;
Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific
Palisades, Calif. (3) def. Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy
Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2), 15-7. Contender's bracket, fourth-
round (losers eliminated, place 9th, split $1,575) - Karrie
Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (5) def.
Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz.
(14), 15-11; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson,
Minneapolis, Minn. (9) def. Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha
Miller, Henrietta, N. Y. (18), 15-9; Krista Blomquist, Branford,
Ct./Ali Wood, Redonda Beach, Calif. (8) def. Pat Keller, Sarasota,
Fla./Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif. (10), 15-6; Danalee
Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (6) def.
Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma, Calif.
(26), 15-9. Contender's bracket, fifth-round (losers eliminated,
place 7th, split $2,375) - Poppinga/Rock def. Chisholm/Richardson,
15-4; Bragado/Schaefer def. Blomquist/Wood, 15-11. Contender's
bracket, sixth-round (winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-
finals, losers eliminated, place 5th, split $3,000) - Rock/Poppinga
def. Kirby/Reno, 15-12; Roque/Shupryt-Knoop def. Bragado/Schaefer,
15-8. Olympic Crossing semi-finals - Arce/McPeak def.
Poppinga/Rock, 15-7; Fontana/Hanley def. Roque/Shupryt-Knoop, 15-
13. Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place 3rd, split $5,700;
losers place 4th; split $4,100) - Poppinga/Rock def. Roque/Shupryt-
Knoop, 15-13. Olympic Crossing championship (winners place 1st,
split $11,000; losers place 2nd, split $8,100) - Arce/McPeak def.
Fontana/Hanley, 18-16.
AUSTIN, TEX. - The Women's Professional Volleyball Association and Alberto VO5, the official hair care sponsor of the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, awarded a pair of $500 fitness grants here this weekend at the seventh annual WPVA Austin Open.
The fourth of 14 events on the 1997 Evian Tour, the $50,000 WPVA Austin Open started Friday (May 16) at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club on Lake Travis with the championship finals set for approximately 3 p.m. (CDT) Sunday.
The Outlaw Volleyball Club and Kealing Junior High School of Austin have each won $500 "Get in Condition with Team VO5" fitness grants for this weekend's event.
Alberto VO5's will award $14,000 overall this season to fitness organizations that best motivate female participation in sports and fitness. The fitness grant is open to all non-profit clubs, groups and teams with a 501(c)3 certification.
Recipients of the grant will be judged on how well they motivate female participation and advancement in sports and fitness activities. Organizations will be selected in each city on the 1997 Evian Tour.
For more information or to get an application for the "Get in Condition with Team VO5" fitness grants, contact the WPVA (310/726-0706). Applications must reach the WPVA office three weeks prior to each event.
AUSTIN, TEX. - Here are results from Saturday's (May 17) rounds of the $50,000 WPVA Austin Open at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club on Lake Travis:
Championship bracket, second-round - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (No. 1-seeded) def. Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc./Michelle Morse, Fort Rucker, Ala., 15-7; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (9) def. Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Ali Wood, Redonda Bea Antonio, Tex. (7), 15-7; Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha Miller, Henrietta, N. Y. (18), 15-1.
Contender's bracket, first-round (losers eliminated, place 25th) - Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. (16) def. Jen Wrightson, San Diego, Calif./Mary Wrightson, Greeley, Colo. (31), 15-7; Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Amy Matthews, Guonee, Ill. (24) def. Erin Borske, Orland Park, Ill./Christine Federico, Plainfield, Ill. (25), 17-15; Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. (21) def. Jackie Auzias de Turenne, Apex, N. C./Becky Sibley, Raleigh, N. C. (28), 15-1; Alicia Chung, Santa Monica, Calif./Ana Franca, Los Angeles, Calif. (20) def. Krystal Attwood, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Desiree Leipham, Reardon, Wash. (35), 15-6; Rhonda Kottke, Minneapolis, Minn./Darina Staneva, Las Vegas, Nev. (19) def. Carrie Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc./Nikki Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc. (33), 15-7; Wendy Martin, Antioch, Tenn./Teri Van Dyke, Nashville, Tenn. (27) def. Julia Celotto, Eureka, Calif./Veronica Sanchez, Santa Monica, Calif. (22), 15-10; Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma, Calif. (26) def. Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill./Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek, Calif. (23), 15-9; Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash./Kristen Schritter, Omaha, Neb. (15) def. Krista Sivertson, Richardson, Tex./Cory Williams, Hillsboro, Tex. (37), 15-11.
Contender's bracket, second-round (losers eliminated, place 17th) - Meredith/Schuster def. Baily/Reale, 15-1; Campbell/Roach def. Kammes/Matthews, 15-9; James/Kollasch won by forfeit over Castro/Stammer (Stammer back injury); Fink/Miller def. Chung/Franca, 16-14; Kottke/Staneva def. Deiters/Morse, 15-11; Blomquist/Wood def. Martin/Van Dyke, 15-12; Cox/Eldridge def. Hilleary/Schuler, 15-8; Johnson def. Pagano/Schritter, 15-9.
Championship bracket, quarter-finals - Arce/McPeak def. Chisholm/Richardson, 15-7; Roque/Shupryt-Knoop, def. Poppinga/Rock, 15-11; Fontana/Hanley def. Bragado/Schaefer, 15-8; Kirby/Reno def. Keller/O'Hara, 15-7.
Contender's bracket, third-round (losers eliminated, place 13th, split $1,012,50) - Meredith/Schuster def. Campbell/Roach, 15-6; Fink/Miller def. James/Kollasch, 15-8; Blomquist/Wood def. Kottke/Staneva, 15-1; Cox/Eldridge def. Johnson/Reeves, 16-14.
Here's Sunday's schedule: Contender's bracket, fourth-round (8
a.m., losers eliminated, place 9th, split $1,575);
Meredith/Schuster vs. Poppinga/Rock; Fink/Miller vs.
Chisholm/Richardson; Blomquist/Wood vs. Keller/O'Hara; Cox/Eldridge
vs. Bragado/Schaefer. Championship bracket, semi-finals ( 9 a.m.,
winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals) - Arce/McPeak vs.
Roque/Shupryt-Knoop; Fontana/Hanley vs. Kirby/Reno. Contender's
bracket, fifth-round (9:30 a.m., losers eliminated, place 7th,
split $2,375); Contender's bracket, sixth-round (10:30 a.m.,
winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals, losers eliminated,
place 5th, split $3,000); Olympic Crossing semi-finals (11:30
a.m.); Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place 3rd, split
$5,700; losers place 4th; split $4,100); Olympic Crossing
championship (winners place 1st, split $11,000; losers place 2nd,
split $8,100).
AUSTIN, TEX. - The top four seeded teams won as expected here Saturday (May 17) as 12 teams remain in competition for the $11,000 first-place prize in the seventh annual WPVA Austin Open at the Emerald Point Pro Beach Volleyball Club on Lake Travis.
Competition resumes Sunday at 8 a.m. (CDT) with four matches in the contender's bracket fourth round followed by the two championship bracket semi-final matches at 9 a.m. pitting the top four seeded teams of Lisa Arce/Holly McPeak, Karolyn Kirby/Nancy Reno, Barbra Fontana/Linda Hanley and Elaine Roque/Dennie Shupryt-Knoop.
The fourth of 14 events on the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the seventh annual WPVA Austin Open is being staged this weekend on four sand courts at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club on Lake Travis next to Carlos n'Charlie's (5971 Hi Line Road, 512/266-1683 or 266-1685).
Roque and Shupryt-Knoop will be looking for their first win-ever over top-seeded Arce and McPeak, who have won all seven games against their fourth-seeded rivals. The Kirby/Reno vs. Fontana/Hanley matchup is closer as Kirby and Reno hold a 6-5 advantage.
The advancement of the top four seeded teams to the championship bracket is an Evian Tour first in 1997 as the top four-seeded tandems were upset during the earlier rounds in the opening three stops in Florida.
The final four starts at 11:30 a.m. Sunday with the tournament finale set for 3 p.m. when the final two teams battle for the $11,000 first-place prize. Echo Entertainment of Encino, Calif., will tape the WPVA Austin Open for replay next week on the FOX Sports Network.
Maria Barnes of Irvine, Calif., and Liz Masakayan will provide the commentary for the 90-minute show. Masakayan, the Evian Tour's No. 2 player in terms of earnings ($277,957.75) and titles (32), is playing a limited beach schedule due to knee problems.
The top four seeded teams each won two matches Saturday. Arce and McPeak advanced with a 15-7 win over Linda Chisholm and Deb Richardson. Roque and Shupryt-Knoop raced to 8-1 and 13-7 leads enroute to a 15-11 win over fifth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock.
Fontana and Hanley, the top finishing Evian Tour team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with a fourth-place, scored a 15-8 win over sixth-seeded Danalee Bragado and Christine Schaefer. Kirby and Reno, who captured last weekend's Cybergenics Open in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., downed 10th-seeded Pat Keller and Marla O'Hara 15-7.
Sunday's play opens with 14th-seeded Jennifer Meredith/Leanne Schuster challenging Poppinga/Rock, 18th-seeded Shaney Fink/Marsha Miller playing Chisholm/Richardson, eighth-seeded Krista Blomquist/Ali Wood facing Keller/O'Hara and 26th-seeded Stephanie Cox/Katy Eldridge meeting Bragado/Schaefer.
Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer were forced out of the tournament
when Stammer injured her back on the first serve of their match
against 21st-seeded Julie James and Jeanette Kollasch. Stammer's
serve was for an ace to give the sixth-seeded team an 1-0 lead, but
Stammer could not continue due to back spasms. Several players
posted career best finishes Saturday in the WPVA Austin Open,
including Meredith, James, Kollasch, Fink, Eldridge and Rhonda
Kottke.
AUSTIN, TEX. - Olympians Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley survived an upset bid by local favorites Carrie and Nikki Busch to score a 16-14 win here Friday (May 16) in the opening round of the $50,000 WPVA Austin Open.
The fourth of 14 events on the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the seventh annual WPVA Austin Open is being staged this weekend on four sand courts at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club on Lake Travis next to Carlos n'Charlie's (5971 Hi Line Road, 512/266-1683 or 266-1685).
Seeded 33rd in the competition after qualifying with two wins Friday morning, the Buschs rallied from a 13-7 deficit to take a 14-13 lead over the third-seeded Fontana/Hanley tanden, who finished fourth at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
The Buschs, one of three "sister" teams competing this weekend, served three times for the upset before Fontana and Hanley scored the final three points of the match to advance to Saturday's second-round of the championship bracket. Fontana and Hanley play 14th-seeded Jennifer Meredith and Leanne Schuster Saturday.
Championship competition 9 a.m. (CDT) Saturday. Twelve (12) teams advance to competition Sunday starting at 8 a.m. The final four starts at 11:30 a.m. Sunday with the tournament finale set for 3 p.m. when the final two teams battle for the $11,000 first-place prize.
Echo Entertainment of Encino, Calif., will tape the WPVA Austin Open for replay next week on the FOX Sports Network. Maria Barnes of Irvine, Calif., and Liz Masakayan will provide the commentary for the 90-minute show. Masakayan, the Evian Tour's No. 2 player in terms of earnings ($277,957.75) and titles (32), is playing a limited beach schedule due to knee problems.
Friday's opening round had two upsets as 17th-seeded Erin Deiters and Michelle Morse downed 16th-seeded Mary Baily and Helen Reale 15-11. With the win, Deiters/Morse face top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak in Saturday's first match.
Shaney Fink and Marsha Miller, the 18th-seeded tandem, scored Friday's second upset with a 15-8 win over 15th-seeded Liz Pagano and Kristen Schritter. Fink and Miller next challenge second- seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno, who scored a 15-6 win Friday over the sister tandem of 37th-seeded Krista Sivertson and Cory Williams.
Arce and McPeak downed the Wrightsons (Jen and Mary) 15-2. The Wrightsons join the Buschs, Sivertson/Williams and Krystal Attwood/Desiree Leipham as the last entries into the 32-team main draw as each advanced from Friday's nine-team, 12-match qualifier.
The fourth-seeded tandem of Elaine Roque/Dennie Shupryt-Knoop
downed Attwood and Leipham 15-2 Friday. Roque and Shupryt-Knoop,
the oldest "elite" beach volleyball tandem in the wold with a
combined age of 78, played 13th-seed Lynda Johnson and Jeanne
Reeves Saturday.
AUSTIN, TEX. - Here are results from Friday's (May 16) opening rounds of the $50,000 WPVA Austin Open at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club on Lake Travis:
Qualifying first-round - Krista Sivertson, Richardson, Tex./Cory Williams, Hillsboro, Tex. (37th-seeded) def. Marietta Campbell, Austin, Tex./Dagmara Szyszczak, Austin, Tex. (36), 15-2. Qualifying second-round - Shannon Misek, Denver, Colo./Carrie Romer, Arvada, Colo. def. Sivertson/Williams, 15-12; Carrie Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc./Nikki Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc. def. Sandy Matthes, St. Louis, Mo./Samatha Meador, Houston, Tex., 15-9; Jen Wrightson, San Diego, Calif./Mary Wrightson, San Diego, Calif. def. Deanna Johnson, San Diego, Calif./Gracie Santana, San Diego, Calif., 15-6; Krystal Attwood, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Desiree Leipham, Reardon, Wash. def. Jennifer Marzahl, Houston, Tex./Valerie Duringer, Redondo Beach, Calif., 15-3. Qualifying third-round (losers eliminated, place 37th) - M. Campbell/Szyszczak def. D. Johnson/Santana, 15-13. Qualifying fourth-round (winners advance to main draw) - C. Busch/N. Busch def. Misek/Romer, 15-6; Attwood/Leipham def. J. Wrightson/M. Wrightson, 15-10. Qualifying fifth-round (losers eliminated, place 35th) - Duringer/Marzahl def. M. Campbell/Szyszczak, 15-12; Sivertson/Williams def. Matthes/Meador, 16-14. Qualifying sixth-round (winners advance to main draw, losers eliminated, place 33rd) - J. Wrightson/M. Wrightston def. Duringer/Marzzahl, 15-4; Sivertson/Williams def. Misek/Romer, 15-9.
Championship bracket, first-round - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (1) def. J. Wrightson/M. Wrightson, 15-2; Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc/Michelle Morse, Fort Rucker, Ala. def. Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. (16), 15-11; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (9) def. Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Amy Matthews, Guonee, Ill. (24), 15-4; Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Ali Wood, Redonda Beach, Calif. (8) def. Erin Borske, Orland Park, Ill./Christine Federico, Plainfield, Ill. (25), 15-10; Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (5) def. Jackie Auzias de Turenne, Apex, N. C./Becky Sibley, Raleigh, N. C. (28), 15-4; Valinda Hilleary, Littleton, Colo./Beth Schuler, Southfield, Mich. (12) def. Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. (21); Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. (13) def. Alicia Chung, Santa Monica, Calif./Ana Franca, Los Angeles, Calif. (20), 15-5; Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (4) def. Attwood/Leipham, 15-2; Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3) def. C. Busch/N. Busch, 16-14; Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz. (14) def. Rhonda Kottke, Minneapolis, Minn./Darina Staneva, Las Vegas, Nev. (19), 15-8; Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Charlotte Roach, Santa Barbara, Calif. (11) def. Julia Celotto, Eureka, Calif./Veronica Sanchez, Santa Monica, Calif. (22), 15-7; Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (6) def. Wendy Martin, Antioch, Tenn./Teri Van Dyke, Nashville, Tenn. (27), 15-6; Gail Castro, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./Gayle Stammer, San Antonio, Tex. (7) def. Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma, Calif. (26), 16-14; Pat Keller, Sarasota, Fla./Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif. (10) def. Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill./Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek, Calif. (23), 15-11; Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha Miller, Henrietta, N. Y. (18) def. Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash./Kristen Schritter, Omaha, Neb. (15), 15-8; Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. Sivertson/Williams, 15-6.
Here's Saturday's schedule: Championship bracket, second-round (9 a.m.) - Arce/McPeak vs. Deiters/Morse; Chisholm/Richardson vs. Blomquist/Wood; Poppinga/Rock vs. Hilleary/Schuler; Johnson/Reeves vs. Roque/Shupryt-Knoop; Fontana/Hanley vs. Meredith/Schuster; Campbell/Roach vs. Bragado/Schaefer; Castro/Stammer vs. Keller/O'Hara; Fink/Miller vs. Kirby/Reno. Contender's bracket, first-round (11 a.m., losers eliminated, place 25th) - J.Wrightson/M. Wrightson; Kammes/Matthews vs. Borske/Federico; Auzias de Turenne/Sibley vs. James/Kollasch; Chung/Franca vs. Attwood/Leipham; C. Busch/N. Busch vs. Kottke/Staneva; Celotto/Sanchez vs. Martin/Van Dyke; Cox/Eldridge vs. Mason/Sprague; Pagano/Schritter vs. Sivertson/Williams. Contender's bracket, second-round (1 p.m., losers eliminated, place 17th); Championship bracket, quarter-finals (1 p.m.); Contender's bracket, third-round (4 p.m., losers eliminated, place 13th, split $1,012,50).
Here's Sunday's schedule: Contender's bracket, fourth-round (8
a.m., losers eliminated, place 9th, split $1,575); Championship
bracket, semi-finals ( 9 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing
semi-finals); Contender's bracket, fifth-round (9:30 a.m., losers
eliminated, place 7th, split $2,375); Contender's bracket, sixth-
round (10:30 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals,
place 5th, split $3,000); Olympic Crossing semi-finals (11:30
a.m.); Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place 3rd, split
$5,700; losers place 4th; split $4,100); Olympic Crossing
championship (winners place 1st, split $11,000; losers place 2nd,
split $8,100).
AUSTIN, TEX. - With two sets of sister competing together, thirty-
eight teams have entered this weekend's (May 16-18) $50,000 WPVA
Austin Open at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club on Lake
Travis.
The Busch (Carrie and Nikki) and Wrightson (Jennifer and Mary)
sisters will be competing in Friday's (May 16) qualifying rounds
starting at 8:30 a.m. (CDT) as the Evian Tour returns here for the
seventh-straight season.
While the Wrightsons are from the San Diego-area, the Busch sisters
made a name for themselves as All-American volleyball players at
the University of Texas. Nikki (1988-91) was the Southwest
Conference's top player in 1990 and 1991 while Carrie (1992-95) led
the Lady Longhorns to the 1995 NCAA national final as an All-
American setter.
With 23 upset wins at last week's Cybergenics Open in Lake Buena
Vista, Fla., the battle for the top team ranking on the Evian
Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will be at stake when competition
opens here Friday (May 16) at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club
on Lake Travis.
Located next to Carlos n'Charlie's (5971 Hi Line Road, 512/266-1683
or 266-1685) on Lake Travis, the fourth of 14 stops on the 1997
Evian Tour is a three-day double-elimination event. Ten (10) teams
will be playing for the final four spots in the 32-team main draw
Friday morning.
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 with the
tournament finale set for 3 p.m. when the final two teams battle
for the $11,000 first-place prize.
By capturing the Cybergenics Open at Disney's Wide World of Sports
complex in Lake Buena Vista, Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno are
within striking distance of taking over as the Evian Tour's top-
ranked team from Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak.
Arce and McPeak must finish at least one spot ahead of Kirby and
Reno this week at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club to maintain
its top Women's Professional Volleyball Association ranking. A win
by the Kirby/Reno tandem would propel them to the No. 1 spot for
the Evian Tour event May 31-June 1 at Mariner's Point in San Diego,
Calif.
Kirby, the Evian Tour's all-time winningest player in terms of
earnings ($432,224.13), titles (59) and match wins (579), and Reno
downed 31st-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Davis 15-11 to win the
Cybergenics Open for their eighth pro title together.
Enroute to their fifth Evian Tour championship together, Kirby and
Reno eliminated Arce and McPeak from the Cybergenics Open with a
16-14 win. Arce and McPeak had won the first two 1997 events in
Miami Beach and Deerfield Beach, Fla., and entered the Disney event
with a three-event winning streak.
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.
Echo Entertainment of Encino, Calif., will tape the WPVA Austin
Open for replay next week on the FOX Sports Network. Maria Barnes
of Irvine, Calif., and Liz Masakayan will provide the commentary
for the 90-minute show. Masakayan, the Evian Tour's No. 2 player
in terms of earnings ($277,957.75) and titles (32), is playing a
limited beach schedule due to knee problems.
The WPVA Austin Open has been a site to remember for Kirby, who
captured three titles at Zilker Park (with Angela Rock in both 1991
and 1992, and Masakayan in 1994). Kirby and Masakayan finished
third in 1993 when Barbra Fontana and Lori Forsythe captured the
title by defeating Janice Harrer and Deb Richardson in a double
final.
McPeak and Reno captured both events at the Emerald Point Pro
Volleyball Club. McPeak and Reno defeated Gail Castro and Elaine
Roque 15-8 to win the 1995 title before downing Arce and Kirby 15-7
to capture the 1996 crown.
WPVA Austin Open
May 16-18, 1997 at Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club
Lake Travis, Austin, Tex.
Main Draw Seedings - Provisional
1. Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan
Beach, Calif. - 11th Evian Tour event together, six Evian Tour
titles together, 53-7 main draw match mark together
(Arce/McPeak have competed in five international events
together with one title and a 27-9 match mark.).
2. Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. -
14th, five titles, 60-18 (Kirby/Reno have competed in four
international events together with three titles and a 9-2 match
mark.).
3. Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific
Palisades, Calif. - 18th, four titles, 69-25 (Fontana/Hanley
have competed in eight international events together with one
title and a 27-17 match mark together, including a fourth at
the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Fontana/Hanley won the 1996
USA Olympic Trials with a 2-0 match mark.).
4. Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago,
Ill. - 19th, 62-39.
5. Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. -
4th, 9-5 (Poppinga/Rock have competed in two international
events together with a 9-5 match mark.).
6. Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Christine Schaefer, Florence,
Ky. - 4th, 10-6 (Bragado/Schaefer have competed in two
international events together with a 7-4 match mark.).
7. Gail Castro, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./Gayle Stammer, San
Antonio, Tex. - 7th, 20-12.
8. Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Ali Wood, Redonda Beach, Calif.
- 1st.
9. Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis,
Minn. - 4th, 11-6.
10. Pat Keller, Sarasota, Fla./Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif. -
4th, 7-6 (Keller/O'Hara have competed in two international
events together with a 3-4 match mark.).
11. Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Charlotte Roach, Santa
Barbara, Calif. - 32nd, 76-57.
12. Valinda Hilleary, Littleton, Colo./Beth Schuler, Southfield,
Mich. - 3rd, 3-4.
13. Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. -
4th, 6-6.
14. Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz.
- 2nd, 3-2.
15. Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash./Kristen Schritter, Omaha, Neb. -
4th, 3-6.
16. Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. -
4th, 3-6.
17. Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc/Michelle Morse, Fort Rucker, Ala.
- 2nd, 0-2.
18. Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha Miller, Henrietta, N.
Y. - 2nd, 0-2.
19. Rhonda Kottke, Minneapolis, Minn./Darina Staneva, Las Vegas,
Nev. - 3rd, 0-4.
20. Alicia Chung, Santa Monica, Calif./Ana Franca, Los Angeles,
Calif. - 2nd, 1-2.
21. Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. -
7th, 3-12.
22. Julia Celotto, Eureka, Calif./Veronica Sanchez, Santa Monica,
Calif. - 7th, 10-12.
23. Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill./Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek,
Calif. - 1st.
24. Michal Clingman, Jet, Okla./Gina Pillitiere, Akron, Ohio - 4th,
1-6.
25. Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Amy Matthews, Guonee, Ill. -
14th, 3-26.
26. Erin Borske, Orland Park, Ill./Christine Federico, Plainfield,
Ill. - 5th, 3-6.
27. Stephanie Cox, Los Angeles, Calif./Katy Eldridge, Petaluma,
Calif. - 2nd, 0-2.
28. Wendy Martin, Antioch, Tenn./Teri Van Dyke, Nashville, Tenn. -
9th, 0-6.
Qualifying Teams (four to main draw)
29. Jackie Auzias de Turenne, Apex, N. C./Becky Sibley, Raleigh, N.
C. - 4th, 0-2.
30. Shannon Misek, Denver, Colo./Carrie Romer, Arvada, Colo. - 4th,
0-0.
31. Jennifer Marzahl, Houston, Tex./Valerie Duringer, Redondo
Beach, Calif. - 2nd, 0-0.
32. Jen Wrightson, San Diego, Calif./Mary Wrightson, San Diego,
Calif. - 1st.
33. Sandy Matthes, St. Louis, Mo./Samatha Meador, Houston, Tex. -
1st.
34. Carrie Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc./Nikki Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc. -
1st.
35. Deanna Johnson, San Diego, Calif./Gracie Santana, San Diego,
Calif. - 2nd, 0-0.
36. Krystal Attwood, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Desiree Leipham,
Reardon, Wash. - 1st.
37. Marietta Campbell, Austin, Tex./Dagmara Szycsczak, Austin, Tex.
- 1st.
38. Krista Sivertson, Fort Worth, Tex./Corey Williams, Fort Worth,
Tex. - 1st.
EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. - With 23 upset wins at last week's Cybergenics Open in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., the battle for the top team ranking on the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will be at stake in this weekend's WPVA Austin Open.
The fourth of 14 stops on the 1997 Evian Tour 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 three-day WPVA Austin Open is a double- elimination event.
Depending on the number of entries, a qualifying session for the WPVA Austin Open 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 with the tournament finale set for 3 p.m.
By capturing the Cybergenic Open at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno are within striking distance of taking over as the Evian Tour's top- ranked team from Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak.
Arce and McPeak must finish at least one spot ahead of Kirby and Reno this week at the Emerald Point Pro Volleyball Club to maintain its top Women's Professional Volleyball Association ranking. A win by the Kirby/Reno tandem would propel them to the No. 1 spot for the Evian Tour event May 31-June 1 at Mariner's Point in San Diego, Calif.
Kirby, the Evian Tour's all-time winningest player in terms of earnings ($432,224.13), titles (59) and match wins (579), and Reno downed 31st-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Davis 15-11 to win the Cybergenics Open for their eighth pro title together.
Enroute to their fifth Evian Tour championship together, Kirby and Reno eliminated Arce and McPeak from the Cybergenics Open with a 16-14 win. Arce and McPeak had won the first two 1997 events in Miami Beach and Deerfield Beach, Fla., and entered the Disney event with a three-event winning streak.
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.
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 and third-
seeded Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley. The rookie tandem will
miss the WPVA Austin Open as Johnson will be married Saturday (May
17) to NFL wide receiver Kevin Jordan in Bel Air, Calif.
Copyright ©Volleyball WorldWide
Volleyball WorldWide on the Computer Internet/WWW
http://www.Volleyball.ORG/