WPVA Huntington Beach, CA June 28-29, 1997
Arce and McPeak, who have now won nine of the last 12 Evian Tour events, downed third-seeded Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley 15-9 to share the $13,200 first-place.
The first of four "major" events on the Evian Tour, the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open finale was taped by ABC Sports for replay July 5.
Arce and McPeak closed out the 1996 Evian Tour campaign by winning the grand slam title at the eight-team Evian Invitational, the Evian National Championships and the Best of the Beach III.
Olympians Fontana and Hanley opened the 1996 grand slam schedule by capturing the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open title in Ocean City, Md. (June 16) by downing Janice Harrer and Gayle Stammer 15-11 in the championship match.
Fontana and Hanley then dropped the title matches in the next three 1996 "majors" to Arce and McPeak, including a 15-6 at the Evian Invitational, 13-12 in the Evian National Championships and 15-7 in the Best of the Beach III.
Sunday's win was also the third-straight by Arce and McPeak over Fontana and Hanley in a 1997 Evian Tour title match. The Women's Professional Volleyball Association's top-ranked team downed Fontana and Hanley to win championships in Austin, Tex. (May 18, 18-16) and San Diego (June 1, 15-4). Fontana and Hanley, who advanced to the championship finals with a 15-7 win over sixth- seeded Linda Chisholm and Deb Richardson, split $9,720 for second.
Arce and McPeak have now won 10 of 13 career meetings with against Fontana and Hanley as the pair captured their 10th Evian Tour title together and 11th overall pro title. Arce and McPeak advanced to the finals with a 15-1 win over 12th-seeded Marla O'Hara and Ali Wood.
Ranked third on the international beach circuit, Arce and McPeak have now defeated Fontana and Hanley in six of seven title meetings since August, 1996. The title was McPeak's 22nd on the Evian Tour and 45th in her pro career. Arce has 10 domestic titles and 11 overall as a pro.
Chisholm and Richardson posted their best finish of the 1997 season by downing O'Hara and Wood 15-10 to share the $6,840. O'Hara and Wood, who eliminated second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno 15- 11 earlier Sunday, split $4,920 for fourth.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - Here are Sunday's (June 29) results from The Pier for the 10th annual Ocean Pacific U. S. Open, the first four grand slam events on the 1997 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (seed).
Championship bracket, semi-finals (winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals) - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (1) def. Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (4), 15-13; Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3) def. Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2), 16-14.
Contender's bracket, fifth-round (losers eliminated, place ninth, $split $1,890) - Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif./Ali Wood, Redondo Beach, Calif. (12) def. Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. (14), 15-11; Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif./Elaine Youngs, El Toro, Calif. (15) def. Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (8), 15-11; Natalie Cook, Brisbane, Australia/Kerri Pottharst, Adelaide, Australia (7) def. Valinda Hilleary, Littleton, Colo./Monique Oliver, Santa Monica, Calif. (16), 15-8; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (6) def. Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (5), 16-14.
Contender's bracket, sixth-round (losers eliminated, place seventh, split $2,850) - O'Hara/Wood def. Masakayan/Youngs, 15-6; Chisholm/Richardson def. Cook/Pottharst, 15-4.
Contender's bracket, seventh-round (winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals, place 5th, split $3,800) - O'Hara/Wood def. Kirby/Reno, 15-11; Chisholm/Richardson def. Poppinga/Rock, 15-13; Olympic Crossing semi-finals - Arce/McPeak def. O'Hara/Wood, 15-1; Fontana/Hanley def. Chisholm/Richardson, 15-7; Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place third, split $6,840; losers place fourth; split $4,920) - Chisholm/Richardson def. O'Hara/Wood, 15-10; Olympic Crossing championship (winners place first, split $13,200; losers place second, split $9,720) - Arce/McPeak def. Fontana/Hanley, 15-9.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - It was business as usual here Saturday (June 28) as the top four seeded teams won as expected during the second-day of competition in the 10th annual $60,000 Ocean Pacific U. S. Open at The Pier.
Twelve (12) remain in the contention for the $13,200 first-place prize when play resumes at 8 a.m. (PDT) Sunday on four courts south of the Huntington Beach Pier. A total of 41 teams entered the eighth of 14 events on the 1997 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour for the largest main draw field in the 10-plus season history of the Women's Professional Volleyball Association.
The $60,000 Ocean Pacific U. S. Open, the first of four "major" events on the Evian Tour, continues through Sunday's 3 p.m. when ABC Sports tapes the tournament finale for replay July 5. The Ocean Pacific U. S. Open semi-finals are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak, who have won five of the seven Evian Tour titles this season, advanced to the first of two championship bracket semi-final matches Sunday at 9 a.m. by defeating eighth-seeded Krista Blomquist and Christine Schaefer 15- 8 Saturday.
The Arce/McPeak tandem will be trying to win their fourth-straight Evian Tour "grand slam" event Sunday as the pair closed out the 1996 Evian Tour campaign by winning the grand slam titles at the eight-team Evian Invitational, the Evian National Championships and the Best of the Beach III.
Arce and McPeak face fourth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock first thing Sunday with the winner advancing to the tournament semi-final. Poppinga and Rock broke from a 10-10 tie with 12th- seeded Marla O'Hara and Ali Wood 15-10 for their second win Saturday.
Sunday's other championship bracket semi-final match pits third- seeded Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley against second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno, who have two Evian Tour titles to their credit this season.
Fontana and Hanley advanced with a 15-11 win over sixth-seeded Linda Chisholm and Deb Richardson while Kirby and Reno downed seventh-seeded Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst 15-8. Kirby and Reno won the last Evian Tour stop by defeating Arce and McPeak 15- 11 in the finals at Atlantic City, N. J.
Fontana and Hanley were the last team outside of Arce and McPeak to win an Evian Tour grand slam title as the pair won 1996's first "major" event by capturing the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open crown in Ocean City, Md. (June 16) by downing Janice Harrer and Gayle Stammer 15-11 in the title match.
Fontana and Hanley then dropped the title matches in the next three 1996 "majors" to Arce and McPeak, including a 15-6 at the Evian Invitational, 13-12 in the Evian National Championships and 15-7 in the Best of the Beach III.
Cook and Pottharst, who captured the bronze medal for Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, lead the other eight teams into Sunday's opening elimination matches. The fifth-ranked team on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, the Aussies opened Saturday's play with a 16-14 come-from-behind win over 10th-seeded Maike Friedrichsen and Danja Musch of Germany.
Friedrichsen and Musch, who are ranked eighth on the FIVB circuit, were eliminated from the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open after dropping a 15-6 decision to 15th-seeded Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs, who are playing in only their second Evian Tour event after finishing third two weeks ago in Irving, Tex.
O'Hara and Wood, who scored a 15-6 win over fifth-seeded Elaine Roque and Dennie Shupryt-Knoop earlier Saturday, face 14th-seeded Lynda Johnson and Jeanne Reeves in an opening elimination match Sunday while Masakayan and Youngs face Blomquist and Schaefer.
Cook and Pottharst face 16th-seeded Valinda Hilleary and Monique Oliver in another elimination match to open Sunday's play while Roque and Shupryt-Knoop face Chisholm and Richardson.
Evelyn Conley and Liz Pagano, who were seeded 23th, scored Saturday's biggest "upset" by eliminating ninth-seeded Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer 15-8. Conley and Pagano dropped a 15-7 elimination match to Hilleary and Oliver to finish 13th.
OCEAN PACIFIC U. S. OPEN RESULTS/SCHEDULE
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - Here are Saturday's (June 28) results from The Pier for the 10th annual Ocean Pacific U. S. Open, the first four grand slam events on the 1997 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (seed).
Championship bracket, third-round - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (1) def. Valinda Hilleary, Littleton, Colo./Monique Oliver, Santa Monica, Calif. (16), 15-5; Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (8) vs. Gail Castro, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./Gayle Stammer, San Antonio, Tex. (9), 15-2; Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif./Ali Wood, Redondo Beach, Calif. (12) def. Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (5), 15-6; Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (4) def. Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz. (13), 15-7; Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3) def. Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. (14), 15-8; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (6) def. Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Pat Keller, Sarasota, Fla. (11), 15- 6; Natalie Cook, Brisbane, Australia/Kerri Pottharst, Adelaide, Australia (7) def. Maike Friedrichsen, Munster, Germany/Danja Musch, Munster, Germany (10), 15-6; Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif./Elaine Youngs, El Toro, Calif. (15), 15-4.
Championship bracket, quarter-finals - Arce/McPeak def. Blomquist/Schaefer, 15-8; Poppinga/Rock def. O'Hara/Wood, 15-10; Fontana/Hanley def. Chisholm/Richardson, 15-11; Kirby/Reno def. Cook/Pottharst, 15-8.
Contender's bracket, first-round (losers eliminated, place 33rd) - Jennifer Marzahl, Newport Beach, Calif./Gina Pillitiere, Akron, Ohio (29) def. Julia Celotto, Eureka, Calif./Veronica Sanchez, Santa Monica, Calif. (33), 15-0; Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. (21) def. Elaine Cooke, Torrance, Calif./Kristi Siegel, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (41), 15-1; Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif./Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek, Calif. (28) def. Kathleen Luciano, Venice, Calif./Sharon Rhodes, Los Angeles, Calif. (40), 15-4; Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc./Amy Matthews, Gurnee, Ill. (25) def. Krystal Attwood, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Desiree Leipham, Reardon, Wash. (37), 15-12; Valerie Duringer, Redondo Beach, Calif./Kristy Innocent, Dana Points, Calif. (32) def. Tiffany Jestadt, Paradise Valley, Ariz./Cherry Simpkins, Torrance, Calif. (36), 15-5; Deanna Johnson, San Diego, Calif./Corey Williams, Hillsboro, Tex. (34) def. Bonnie Levin, Miami, Fla./Sandy Matthes, St. Louis, Mo. (35), 15-8; Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Shana Wilson, Los Angeles, Calif. (26) def. JB, Haley, Idaho/Maggie Philgence, St. Lucia Castries, V. I. (38), 15-0; Carrie Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc./Michelle Morse, Central Point, Ore. (27) def. Kim Blankinship, Torrance, Calif./Jennifer Loftis, Redondo Beach, Calif. (39), 15-5; Laurie Ruser, Ogallala, Neb./Lynda Street, Jupiter, Fla. (30) def. Shannon Misek, Denver, Colo./Carrie Romer, Arvada, Colo. (31), 15-13.
Contender's bracket, second-round (losers eliminated, place 25th) - Rhonda Kottke, Minneapolis, Minn./Darina Staneva, Las Vegas, Nev. (20) def. Marzahl/Pillitiere, 15-0; Baily/Reale vs. Fink/Sprague; Ana Franca, Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha Miller, Henrietta, N. Y. (24) def. Deiters/Matthews, 15-11; Janice Harrer, Honolulu, Hi./Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill. (17) def. Duringer/Innocent, 15- 1; Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Charlotte Roach, Santa Barbara, Calif. (18) def. D. Johnson/Williams, 15-4; Evelyn Conley, Playa del Rey, Calif./Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash. (23) def. Kammes/Wilson, 15-9; Busch/Morse def. Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. (22), 15-13; Alicia Chung, Capitola, Calif./Beth Schuler, Grosse Point, Mich. (19) def. Ruser/Street, 15-6. Contender's bracket, third-round (losers eliminated, place 17th) - L. Johnson/Reeves def. Kottke/Staneva, 15-4; Bragado/Keller def. Fink/Sprague, 15-8; Friedrichsen/Musch vs. Franca/Miller; Masakayan/Youngs def. Harrer/Mason, 15-8; Hilleary/Oliver def. Campbell/Roach, 15-13; Conley/Pagano def. Castro/Stammer, 15-8; Roque/Shupryt-Knoop def. Busch/Morse, 15-4; Meredith/Schuster def. Chung/Schuler, 15-10. Contender's bracket, fourth-round (losers eliminated, place 13th, split $1,215) - L. Johnson/Reeves def. Bragado/Keller, 15-11; Masakayan/Youngs def. Friedrichsen/Musch, 15-6; Hilleary/Oliver def. Conley/Pagano, 15-7; Roque/Shupryt-Knoop def. Meredith/Schuster, 15-10.
Here's Sunday's (June 29) schedule: Contender's bracket, fourth- round (8 a.m. PDT, losers eliminated, place ninth, split $1,890) - L. Johnson/Reeves vs. O'Hara/Wood; Masakayan/Youngs vs. Blomquist/Schaefer; Hilleary/Oliver vs. Cook/Pottharst; Roque/Shupryt-Knoop vs. Chisholm/Richardson; Championship bracket, semi-finals ( 9 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi- finals) - Arce/McPeak vs. Poppinga/Rock; Fontana/Hanley vs. Cook/Pottharst or Kirby/Reno. Contender's bracket, fifth-round (9:30 a.m., losers eliminated, place seventh, split $2,850); Contender's bracket, sixth-round (10:30 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals, place 5th, split $3,800); Olympic Crossing semi-finals (11:30 a.m.); Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place third, split $6,840; losers place fourth; split $4,920); Olympic Crossing championship (winners place first, split $13,200; losers place second, split $9,720).
Ocean Pacific U. S. Open
an Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour
Grand Slam event
June 27-29, 1997 at The Pier, Huntington Beach,
Calif.
TOURNAMENT SUMMARY
RANK TEAM W-L
POINTS MONEY
1st 0-0
80 $13,200
2nd 0-0
72 $9,720
3rd 0-0
64 $6,840
4th 0-0
56 $4,920
5th 0-0
48 $3,600
0-0
48 $3,600
7th 0-0
40 $2,850
0-0
40 $2,850
9th 0-0
32 $1,890
0-0
32 $1,890
0-0
32 $1,890
0-0
32 $1,890
13th Danalee Bragado\Pat Keller (11) 2-2
24 $1,215
Maike Friedrichsen\Danja Musch (10) 2-2
24 $1,215
Evelyn Conley\Liz Pagano (23) 2-2
24 $1,215
Jennifer Meredith\Leanne Schuster (13) 2-2
24 $1,215
17th Rhonda Kottke\Darina Staneva (20) 1-2
16
Shaney Fink\Julie Sprague (28) 3-2
16
Anna Franca\Marsha Miller (24) 2-2
16
Janice Harrer\Nancy Mason (17) 1-2
16
Jackie Campbell\Charlotte Roach (18) 1-2
16
Gail Castro\Gayle Stammer (9) 1-2
16
Carrie Busch\Michelle Morse (27) 3-2
16
Alicia Chung\Beth Schuler (19) 1-2
16
25th Jennifer Marzahl\Gina Pillitiere (29) 2-2
8
Mary Baily\Helen Reale (21) 1-2
8
Erin Deiters\Amy Matthews (25) 2-2
8
Valerie Duringer\Kristi Innocent (32) 2-2
8
Deanne Johnson\Cory Williams (34) 2-2
8
Stacey Kammes\Shana Wilson (26) 2-2
8
Julie James\Jeannette Kollasch (22) 0-2
8
Laurie Ruser\Lynda Street 30) 2-2
8
33rd Julia Celotto\Veronica Sanchez (33) 0-2
4
Elaine Cooke\Kristi Siegel (41) 0-2
4
Kathleen Luciano\Sharon Rhodes (40) 0-2
4
Krystal Attwood\Desire Leipham (37) 0-2
4
Tiffany Jestadt\Cherry Simpkins (36) 0-2
4
Bonnie Levin\Sandy Matthes (35) 0-2
4
JB\Maggie Philgence (38) 0-2
4
Kim Blankinship\Jennifer Loftis (39) 0-2
4
Shannon Misek\Carrie Romer (31) 0-2
4
Totals 80-
80 900 $60,000
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - The international tandems of Australians Natalie Cook/Kerri Pottharst and Germans Maike Friedrichsen/Danja Musch won their opening round matches here Friday (June 27) in the 10th annual Ocean Pacific U. S. Open.
A total of 41 teams entered the eighth of 14 events on the 1997 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour for the largest main draw field in the 10-plus season history of the Women's Professional Volleyball Association.
The $60,000 Ocean Pacific U. S. Open, the first of four "major" events on the Evian Tour, continues through Sunday when ABC Sports tapes the tournament finale for replay July 5. The final two teams battle for the $13,200 first-place prize on Sunday at approximately 3 p.m.
Saturday's play opens at 9 a.m. (PDT) with 48 matches being staged on five courts just south of Huntington Beach Pier. Twelve (12) teams advance to Sunday's final rounds (14 matches) starting at 8 a.m. with four elimination matches. The Ocean Pacific U. S. Open semi-finals are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Cook and Pottharst, who captured the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, downed 26th-seeded Stacey Kammes and Shana Wilson 15-8. Ranked fifth on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, Cook and Pottharst face Friedrichsen and Musch in their first match Saturday.
Friedrichsen and Musch, who are ranked eighth on the FIVB circuit, downed 23rd-seeded Evelyn Conley and Liz Pagano 15-8. The winner of the Cook/Pottharst versus Friedrichsen/Musch match will play either second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno or 15th-seeded Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs in Saturday's final championship bracket quarter-final match. Masakayan and Youngs scored an 18-16 come-from-behind win over 18th-seeded Jackie Campbell and Charlotte Roach in Friday's closes match.
Cook (Brisbane) and Pottharst (Adelaide) are playing in their second Evian Tour event after placing ninth in a 1995 Hermosa Beach (Calif.) stop. The Cook/Pottharst have competed in 21 FIVB events together with one title in Japan last August.
Cook and Pottharst, who have shared $211,800 internationally with a 62-44 mark and seven final four finishes, defeated all three teams from the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The Aussies downed Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer (15-7), Holly McPeak and Reno (15-13) and Fontana and Hanley (12-11 and 12-7 in the bronze medal match).
Musch, who tied for seventh in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with Beate Buhler, joined forces with the Friedrichsen at the end of the 1996 international season. Friedrichsen and Musch, who both live in Munster, Germany, have competed in six FIVB events together with a 16-14 match mark. The pair has shared $47,600 internationally with two final four finishes.
Top-seeded Lisa Arce and McPeak, who are trying to win their fourth-straight Evian Tour "grand slam" event, opened with a 15-2 win over 32nd-seeded Valerie Duringer and Kristi Innocent to advance to a Saturday meeting against 16th-seeded Valinda Hilleary and Monique Oliver.
Arce and McPeak, the Evian Tour's top-ranked tandem, closed out the 1996 Evian Tour campaign by winning the grand slam titles at the eight-team Evian Invitational, the Evian National Championships and the Best of the Beach III.
Third-seeded Fontana and Hanley, who opened the 1996 grand slam schedule by capturing the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open crown in Ocean City, Md. (June 16) by downing Janice Harrer and Gayle Stammer 15- 11 in the title match, opened Friday with a 15-5 over 30th-seeded Laurie Ruser and Lynda Street.
Fontana and Hanley then dropped the title matches in the next three 1996 "majors" to Arce and McPeak, including a 15-6 at the Evian Invitational, 13-12 in the Evian National Championships and 15-7 in the Best of the Beach III.
Fourth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Angela Rock scored a 15-2 Friday win over 29th-seeded Jennifer Marzahl and Gina Pillitiere as the top 16 teams won as expected. Kirby and Reno, who won the last Evian Tour event last Sunday (June 22) in Atlantic City, N. J., scored a 15-1 win over 34st-seeded Deanna Johnson and Cory Williams.
OCEAN PACIFIC U. S. OPEN RESULTS/SCHEDULE
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - Here are Friday's (June 27) results from The Pier for the 10th annual Ocean Pacific U. S. Open, the first four grand slam events on the 1997 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (seed).
Championship bracket, first-round - Val Duringer, Redondo Beach, Calif./Kristy Innocent, Dana Points, Calif. (32) def. Julia Celotto, Eureka, Calif./Veronica Sanchez, Santa Monica, Calif. (33), 15-0; Ana Franca, Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha Miller, Henrietta, N. Y. (24) def. Elaine Cooke, Torrance, Calif./Kristi Siegel, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (41), 15-3; Erin Deiters, Green Bay, Wisc./Amy Matthews, Gurnee, Ill. (25) def. Kathleen Luciano, Venice, Calif./Sharon Rhodes, Los Angeles, Calif. (40), 15-5; Shaney Fink, Los Angeles, Calif./Julie Sprague, Walnut Creek, Calif. (28) def. Krystal Attwood, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Desiree Leipham, Reardon, Wash. (37), 15-7; Jennifer Marzahl, Newport Beach, Calif./Gina Pillitiere, Akron, Ohio (29) def. Tiffany Jestadt, Paradise Valley, Ariz./Cherry Simpkins, Torrance, Calif. (36), 15-9; Laurie Ruser, Ogallala, Neb./Lynda Street, Jupiter, Fla. (30) def. Bonnie Levin, Miami, Fla./Sandy Matthes, St. Louis, Mo. (35), 15-13; Carrie Busch, Milwaukee, Wisc./Michelle Morse, Central Point, Ore. (27) def. JB, Haley, Idaho/Maggie Philgence, St. Lucia Castries, V. I. (38), 15-3; Stacey Kammes, Winfield, Ill./Shana Wilson, Los Angeles, Calif. (26) def. Kim Blankinship, Torrance, Calif./Jennifer Loftis, Redondo Beach, Calif. (39), 15-4; Deanna Johnson, San Diego, Calif./Corey Williams, Hillsboro, Tex. (34) def. Shannon Misek, Denver, Colo./Carrie Romer, Arvada, Colo. (31), 15-12. Championship bracket, second-round - Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (1) def. Duringer/Innocent, 15-2; Valinda Hilleary, Littleton, Colo./Monique Oliver, Santa Monica, Calif. (16) def. Janice Harrer, Honolulu, Hi./Nancy Mason, Belleville, Ill. (17), 15-9; Gail Castro, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif./Gayle Stammer, San Antonio, Tex. (9) def. Franca/Miller, 15-11; Krista Blomquist, Branford, Ct./Christine Schaefer, Florence, Ky. (8) def. Deiters/Matthews, 15-6; Elaine Roque, Malibu, Calif./Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, Chicago, Ill. (5) def. Fink/Sprague, 15-3; Marla O'Hara, Agoura Hills, Calif./Ali Wood, Redondo Beach, Calif. (12) def. Mary Baily, Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale, New York, N. Y. (21), 15-3; Jennifer Meredith, Del Mar, Calif./Leanne Schuster, Mesa, Ariz. (13) def. Rhonda Kottke, Minneapolis, Minn./Darina Staneva, Las Vegas, Nev. (20), 15-4; Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (4) def. Marzahl/Pillitier, 15-2; Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3) def. Ruser/Street, 15-5; Lynda Johnson, Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves, San Diego, Calif. (14) def. Alicia Chung, Capitola, Calif./Beth Schuler, Grosse Point, Mich. (19), 15-4; Danalee Bragado, Honolulu, Hi./Pat Keller, Sarasota, Fla. (11) def. Julie James, Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch, Palatine, Ill. (22), 15-7; Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn. (6) def. Busch/Morse, 15-3; Natalie Cook, Brisbane, Australia/Kerri Pottharst, Adelaide, Australia (7) def. Kammes/Wilson, 15-8; Maike Friedrichsen, Munster, Germany/Danja Musch, Munster, Germany (10) def. Evelyn Conley, Playa del Rey, Calif./Liz Pagano, Seattle, Wash. (23), 15-8; Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif./Elaine Youngs, El Toro, Calif. (15) def. Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Charlotte Roach, Santa Barbara, Calif. (18), 18-16; Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. D. Johnson/Williams, 15-1.
Here's Saturday's (June 28) schedule: Contender's bracket, first- round (9 a.m., losers eliminated, place 33rd) - Celotto/Sanchez vs. Marzahl/Pillitiere; Cooke/Siegel vs. Baily/Reale; Luciano/Rhodes vs. Fink/Sprague; Attwood/Sprague vs. Deiters/Matthews; Jestadt/Simpkins vs. Duringer/Innocent; Levin/Matthes vs. Campbell/Roach; JB/Philgence vs. Kammes/Wilson; Blankinship/Loftis vs. Busch/Morse; Misek/Romer vs. Ruser/Street. Championship bracket, third-round (11 a.m.) - Arce/McPeak vs. Hilleary/Oliver; Castro/Stammer vs. Blomquist/Schaefer; Roque/Shupryt-Knoop vs. O'Hara/Wood; Meredith/Schuster vs. Poppinga/Rock; Fontana/Hanley vs. L. Johnson/Reeves; Bragado/Keller vs. Chisholm/Richardson; Cook/Pottharst vs. Friedrichsen/Musch; Masakayan/Youngs vs. Kirby/Reno. Contender's bracket, second-round (1 p.m., losers eliminated, place 25th) - Celotto/Sanchez or Marzahl/Pillitiere vs. Kottke/Staneva; Cooke/Siegel or Baily/Reale vs. Luciano/Rhodes or Fink/Sprague; Attwood/Sprague or Deiters/Matthews vs. Franca/Miller; Harrer/Mason vs. Jestadt/Simpkins or Duringer/Innocent; Levin/Matthes or D. Johnson/Williams vs. Campbell/Roach; Conley/Pagano vs. JB/Philgence or Kammes/Wilson; Blankinship/Loftis or Busch/Morse vs. James/Kollasch; Chung Schuler vs. Misek/Romer or Ruser/Street; Championship bracket, quarter- finals (1 p.m.); Contender's bracket, third-round (3 p.m., losers eliminated, place 17th); Contender's bracket, fourth-round (4 p.m., losers eliminated, place 13th, split $1,215).
Here's Sunday's (June 29) schedule: Contender's bracket, fourth- round (8 a.m. PDT, losers eliminated, place ninth, split $1,890); 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 seventh, split $2,850); Contender's bracket, sixth-round (10:30 a.m., winners advance to Olympic Crossing semi-finals, place 5th, split $3,800); Olympic Crossing semi-finals (11:30 a.m.); Olympic Crossing consolation (winners place third, split $6,840; losers place fourth; split $4,920); Olympic Crossing championship (winners place first, split $13,200; losers place second, split $9,720).
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - Led by Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak, 41 teams have entered this weekend's (June 27-29) Ocean Pacific U. S. Open on five courts south of the Huntington Beach Pier.
The 10th annual Ocean Pacific U. S. Open field will also include Australian's Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst, who captured the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, as the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour stages its first of four "major" events in 1997.
Arce and McPeak will be trying to win their fourth-straight Evian Tour "grand slam" event as the $60,000 Ocean Pacific U. S. Open features the biggest main draw field in the 10-plus seasons of Women's Professional Volleyball Association competition.
Play in the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open starts at 11 a.m. (PDT) here Friday (June 27) with 25 matches in the first- and second-rounds of the championship bracket. Twenty-three (23) teams will receive an opening-round bye led by the top-seeded tandems of Arce/McPeak, Karolyn Kirby/Nancy Reno, Barbra Fontana/Linda Hanley and Karrie Poppinga/Angela Rock.
Saturday's play opens at 9 a.m. with another 48 matches. Twelve (12) teams advance to Sunday's final rounds (14 matches) starting at 8 a.m. with four elimination matches. The Ocean Pacific U. S. Open semi-finals are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
The final two teams battle for the $13,200 first-place prize on the Ocean Pacific center court at approximately 3 p.m. ABC Sports will tape the championship match for replay July 28 at 3:30-4:30 p.m. (PDT). Terry Gannon of Santa Monica, Calif., and Maria Barnes of Irvine, Calif., will call the action.
Arce and McPeak, the Evian Tour's top-ranked tandem, closed out the 1996 Evian Tour campaign by winning grand slam title in the at the eight-team Evian Invitational, the Evian National Championships and the Best of the Beach III.
Third-seeded Olympians Fontana and Hanley opened the 1996 grand slam schedule by capturing the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open title in Ocean City, Md. (June 16) by downing Janice Harrer and Gayle Stammer 15-11 in the championship match.
Fontana and Hanley then dropped the title matches in the next three 1996 "majors" to Arce and McPeak, including a 15-6 at the Evian Invitational, 13-12 in the Evian National Championships and 15-7 in the Best of the Beach III.
Ranked third internationally on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, Arce and McPeak have won five of the first seven events this season at Miami Beach, Fla. (April 6), Deerfield Beach, Fla. (April 20), Austin, Tex. (May 18), San Diego, Calif. (June 1) and Irving, Tex. (June 15).
Arce and McPeak saw their three-event, 22-match winning streak broken last Sunday (June 22) when second-seeded Kirby and Reno downed the top-seeded pair 15-11 in the championship match of the Evian Open presented by the Atlantic City Hilton.
The win was the sixth Evian Tour title for the Kirby/Reno tandem, who tied the all-time series between the two teams at 3-3. Arce and McPeak had defeated Kirby and Reno in previous 1997 championship matches at Miami Beach, Fla. (April 6, 15-12) and Irving, Tex. (June 15, 15-13).
The win also marked Kirby and Reno's second Atlantic City title as the pair won on the "boardwalk" in 1992 in their first-ever event together. Kirby has now won a record 60 Evian Tour titles and 66 overall as a professional while Reno netted her 34th pro crown and 19th on the domestic circuit.
Outside of Arce and McPeak's five Evian Tour titles this season, Kirby and Reno are the only other WPVA team to win an Evian Tour event in 1997 as the second-ranked pair won the Cybergenics Open May 11 at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Germany's Maike Friedrichsen and Danja Musch join Cook and Pottharst as the international teams in the Ocean Pacific U. S. Open field. Based on the results from the last five FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour events, Cook and Pottharst are ranked fifth internationally and Friedrichsen and Musch are eighth.
Brazil (Sandra Pires/Jackie Silva, first; Shelda Bede/Adriana Behar, second; and Monica Rodrigues/Adriana Samuel, fourth) and the United States (Arce/McPeak, third; Karrie Poppinga/Angela Rock, sixth; and Fontana/Hanley, seventh) have three tandems each ranked among the top teams on the FIVB circuit.
Cook (Brisbane) and Pottharst (Adelaide) are playing in their second Evian Tour event after placing ninth in a 1995 Hermosa Beach (Calif.) stop. The Cook/Pottharst have competed in 21 FIVB events together with one title in Japan last August. Cook and Pottharst, who have shared $211,800 internationally with a 62-44 mark and seven final four finishes, defeated all three teams from the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The Aussies downed Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer (15-7), McPeak and Reno (15-13) and Fontana and Hanley (12-11 and 12-7 in the bronze medal match).
Musch, who tied for seventh in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games with Beate Buhler, joined forces with the Friedrichsen at the end of the 1996 international season. Friedrichsen and Musch, who both live in Munster, Germany, have competed in six FIVB events together with a 16-14 match mark. The pair has shared $47,600 internationally with two final four finishes.
The Grand Slam series features the top four events on the Evian Tour. A pair of 32-team, double-elimination tournaments, an eight- team shootout and a 12-team international-style round-robin event/bracket make-up 1997 Grand Slam series. There has been 30 Grand Slam events since the WPVA began operation in 1987. Kirby has won a record 12 Grand Slam events in 27 starts with 23 final four finishes and $96,987.13 in earnings. Here are the sites and top three finishers for the past nine Ocean Pacific U. S. Open as the 1997 Huntington Beach event will be the 150th in Evian Tour
1. Lisa Arce (48th Evian Tour event), Manhattan Beach,
Calif./Holly McPeak (75th), Manhattan Beach, Calif.
- 15th Evian Tour event together, nine Evian Tour
titles together, 75-8 main draw match mark together
(Arce/McPeak have competed in five international
events together with one title and a 27-9 mark.).
2. Karolyn Kirby (129th), Brookline, Mass./Nancy Reno
(73rd), Glen Ellyn, Ill. - 17th, six titles, 73-21
(Kirby/Reno have competed in four international
events together with three titles and a 9-2 mark.).
3. Barbra Fontana (96th), Manhattan Beach, Calif./Linda
Hanley (66th), Pacific Palisades, Calif. - 22nd,
four titles, 90-33 (Fontana/Hanley have competed in
eight international events together with one title
and a 27-17 mark, including a fourth at the 1996
Atlanta Olympic Games. Fontana/Hanley won the 1996
USA Olympic Trials with a 2-0 mark.).
4. Karrie Poppinga (36th), Mililani, Hi.-Encinitas,
Calif./Angela Rock (97th), Leucadia, Calif. - 8th,
25-12 (Poppinga/Rock have competed in two
international events together with a 9-5 mark.).
5. Elaine Roque (145th), Malibu, Calif./Dennie
Shupryt-Knoop (127th), Chicago, Ill. - 23rd, 75-48.
6. Linda Chisholm (90th), Van Nuys, Calif./Deb
Richardson (117th), Minneapolis, Minn. - 8th, 25-15.
7. Natalie Cook (5th), Brisbane, Australia/Kerri
Pottharst (2nd), Adelaide, Australia - 2nd, 3-2
(Cook/Pottharst have competed in 21 international
events together with one title and a 62-44 mark,
including a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic
Games.).
8. Krista Blomquist (60th), Branford, Ct./Christine
Schaefer (61st), Florence, Ky. - 3rd, 6-4.
9. Gail Castro (144th), Cardiff by the Sea,
Calif./Gayle Stammer (126th), San Antonio, Tex. -
11th, 31-21.
10. Maike Friedrichsen (1st), Munster, Germany/Danja
Musch (1st), Munster, Germany - 1st
(Friedrichsen/Musch have competed in six
international events together with a 16-14 match
mark.).
11. Danalee Bragado (46th), Honolulu, Hi./Pat Keller
(73rd), Sarasota, Fla. - 2nd, 1-2.
12. Marla O'Hara (116th), Agoura Hills, Calif./Ali Wood
(78th), Redondo Beach, Calif. - 24th, 65-45.
13. Jennifer Meredith (11th), Del Mar, Calif./Leanne
Schuster (30th), Mesa, Ariz. - 6th, 15-10.
14. Lynda Johnson (23rd), Gresham, Ore./Jeanne Reeves
(34th), San Diego, Calif. - 8th, 15-14.
15. Liz Masakayan (94th), San Diego, Calif./Elaine
Youngs (3rd), El Toro, Calif. - 2nd, 7-2.
16. Valinda Hilleary (56th), Littleton, Colo./Monique
Oliver (98th), Santa Monica, Calif. - 9th, 19-16.
17. Janice Harrer (129th), Honolulu, Hi./Nancy Mason
(25th), Belleville, Ill. - 1st.
18. Jackie Campbell (116th), Santa Barbara,
Calif./Charlotte Roach (106th), Santa Barbara,
Calif. - 35th, 81-63.
19. Alicia Chung (21st), Capitola, Calif./Beth Schuler
(37th), Grosse Point, Mich. - 4th, 4-6.
20. Rhonda Kottke (23rd), Minneapolis, Minn./Darina
Staneva (23rd), Las Vegas, Nev. - 7th, 8-12.
21. Mary Baily (50th), Calabasas, Calif./Helen Reale
(70th), New York, N. Y. - 8th, 8-14.
22. Julie James (15th), Houston, Tex./Jeanette Kollasch
(22nd), Palatine, Ill. - 11th, 7-20.
23. Evelyn Conley (89th), Playa del Rey, Calif./Liz
Pagano (40th), Seattle, Wash. - 3rd, 1-4.
24. Ana Franca (14th), Los Angeles, Calif./Marsha Miller
(21st), Henrietta, N. Y. - 2nd, 1-2.
25. Erin Deiters (62nd), Green Bay, Wisc./Amy Matthews
(21st), Gurnee, Ill. - 3rd, 1-4.
26. Stacey Kammes (17th), Winfield, Ill./Shana Wilson
(16th), Los Angeles, Calif. - 2nd, 1-2.
27. Carrie Busch (6th), Milwaukee, Wisc./Michelle Morse
(32nd), Central Point, Ore. - 1st.
28. Shaney Fink (17th), Los Angeles, Calif./Julie
Sprague (14th), Walnut Creek, Calif. - 2nd, 0-2.
29. Jennifer Marzahl (7th), Newport Beach, Calif./Gina
Pillitiere (20th), Akron, Ohio - 2nd, 0-2.
30. Laurie Ruser (14th), Ogallala, Neb./Lynda Street
(8th), Jupiter, Fla. - 2nd.
31. Shannon Misek (18th), Denver, Colo./Carrie Romer
(8th), Arvada, Colo. - 8th, 0-4.
32. Val Duringer (6th), Redondo Beach, Calif./Kristy
Innocent (2nd), Dana Points, Calif. - 2nd, 1-2.
33. Julia Celotto (31st), Eureka, Calif./Veronica
Sanchez (26th), Santa Monica, Calif. - 9th, 10-16.
34. Deanna Johnson (10th), San Diego, Calif./Corey
Williams (3rd), Hillsboro, Tex. - 1st.
35. Bonnie Levin (14th), Miami, Fla./Sandy Matthes
(6th), St. Louis, Mo. - 1st.
36. Tiffany Jestadt (3rd), Paradise Valley, Ariz./Cherry
Simkins (23rd), Torrance, Calif. - 2nd, 0-0.
37. Krystal Attwood (2nd), Manhattan Beach,
Calif./Desiree Leipham (16th), Reardon, Wash. - 2nd,
0-2.
38. JB (2nd), Haley, Idaho/Maggie Philgence (12th), St.
Lucia Castries, V. I. - 1st.
39. Kim Blankinship (4th), Torrance, Calif./Jennifer
Loftis (1st), Redondo Beach, Calif. - 1st.
40. Kathleen Luciano (47th), Venice, Calif./Sharon
Rhodes (3rd), Los Angeles - 3rd, 0-0.
41. Elaine Cooke (2nd), Torrance, Calif./Kristi Siegel
(1st), Manhattan Beach, Calif. - 1st.
The Ocean Pacific U. S. Open, the first of four "major" events in
1997, is the next stop on the Evian Tour. The three-day event
opens Friday (June 27) with a 48-team main draw at The Pier in
Huntington Beach, Calif. The Ocean Pacific U. S. Open starts at 11
a.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday with ABC Sports
taping the 3 p.m. finale. Top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak
will be seeking their fourth-straight "major" title after closing
out the 1996 season by winning the eight-team Evian Invitational,
the 32-team Evian Nationals and the 12-team Best of the Beach III
grand slam events.