Laguna Beach Open : Winning Duo of Hovland and Dodd Have a Day in the Sun

Singin Smith and Randy Stoklos are the most successful team on the professional beach volleyball circuit.

They won 16 of 23 tournaments last year, and together have captured 52 titles, including the 1986 Laguna Beach Open. And the 1985 Laguna Beach Open. The 1984 Laguna Beach Open. The 1982 Laguna Beach Open.

So, going into the 33rd annual Laguna Beach Open this weekend, they were seeded first and were expected to win the $20,000 event again.

But Sunday, they were unable to to get past No. 2-seeded Tim Hovland and Mike Dodd, who twice defeated Smith and Stoklos to win the championship.

Hovland is a three-time All-American from USC and three-time world beach champion who plays indoor volleyball in Italy in the fall. He also played on the U.S. national team for two years. Dodd is a former basketball and volleyball player from San Diego State.

They often meet Smith and Stoklos--who also have quite an extensive volleyball background--in the finals of tournaments.

Smith, a three-time All-American from UCLA and former U.S. national team member, is the winningest professional volleyball player with 65 beach victories.

And Stoklos, also played at UCLA and on the national team. With Smith, his partner of six years, has won 52 tournament titles.

But Smith’s superb digging and Stoklos’ outstanding blocking wasn’t enough to help them win their fourth consecutive Laguna Open title Sunday.

“I don’t think that we played our best,” Stoklos said. “But they really had an outstanding tournament with a lot of momentum on their side.

“After all, this game is all momentum.”

Hovland and Dodd demonstrated their drive by not losing in the double-elimination tournament. Smith and Stoklos lost in the winners’ bracket final to Hovland and Dodd, 15-13.

That put Smith and Stoklos in the losers’ bracket final, in which they defeated No. 5-seeded Brent Frohoff and Scott Ayakatubby of Hermosa Beach, 15-7.

Ten minutes later, they had to play in the championship against a rested Dodd and Hovland. The latter duo defeated Dusty and Rudy Dvorak, Andrew Smith and Pat Powers, and No. 3-seeded John Hanley and Jon Stevenson to advance.

“We’re in 80% of the finals with them,” Hovland said of Smith and Stoklos. “We were just concentrating on ending their winning streak, and we did because we made some great plays today.”

Hovland’s blocking and Dodd’s hitting made Smith and Stoklos look virtually helpless in the final.

The game was tied at six, but a ball in Stoklos’ face, compliments of Dodd, started a streak that didn’t end until the game did at 15-6.

“We had a great combination going for us,” Dodd said. “We put on such great defensive pressure that they got frustrated and made errors while we played very well.”

Volleyball Notes

Leif Hanson, a former Southern Section Player of the Year from Laguna Beach High School, and Dan Vrebalovich, formerly of Estancia, finished fifth after being eliminated, 15-8, by John Hanley and Jon Stevenson in the losers’ bracket.