USA Volleyball Cup : Kiraly, Timmons Go With a Bang; U.S. Routs Soviets

The final point went down Saturday night, and suddenly Karch Kiraly and Steve Timmons were former members of the U.S. national volleyball team, on their way to becoming full-time members of the beach volleyball tour.

“All the guys came up to me and said, ‘Congratulations,’ and, ‘It was fun playing with you,’ ” Timmons said after the United States won its sixth consecutive USA Cup with a 15-9, 15-9, 15-5 victory over the Soviet Union at the Forum, an event that was overshadowed by the retirement of two of the greatest players in the world.

“Time slowed down a bit,” Timmons said. “It was, ‘Hey, that’s it.’ ”

Fittingly, the night belonged to Kiraly and Timmons on the court, too, showing why many say they are leaving while playing the best volleyball of their careers.

But they are leaving nonetheless.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” said Kiraly, who, like Timmons, will be competing in the Manhattan Beach Open beginning Monday. “It hit me the most when I sat down for the (pre-match) ceremony. But it was just business as usual. One more win.”

It was the Americans’ 19th consecutive victory over the Soviet Union in the United States, only the latest episode in U.S. domination of the No. 2 team in the world, which also includes a win in the gold-medal match of the 1988 Olympics.

Steadied by the return of Jeff Stork, the No. 1 setter who missed Friday’s victory over South Korea because of a shoulder injury, the United States controlled the match from the outset.

The first game included a 9-1 run by the Americans, who came in having won all five outings against the Soviet Union during a tour that preceded the USA Cup, three requiring no more than four games.

Timmons, in particular, was dominant as hitter, wasting few opportunities to drill the ball to the floor in the middle of the Soviet defense. When the visitors had a chance to close the gap in the second game, trailing only 3-5, they hurt themselves more than the Americans with mistimed passes and errant spike attempts. The U.S. quickly built the lead to 8-3 and gave up little momentum the rest of the way.

The 30-minute pre-match festivities to honor Kiraly and Timmons included a standing ovation, a pair of round-trip tickets for two to Hawaii from the Forum, speeches, plaques, and gifts from the three other teams in the round-robin tournament. Among the hardware were two joint resolutions from state legislators reciting their accomplishments through the years, a nice touch even if Kiraly’s did mention his career at USC, a mixup the former Bruin no doubt could have done without.

Noting that so many friends and family were on hand, Timmons, who did attend USC, motioned toward his fiancee, Jeanie Buss.

“Jeanie,” he said, “we could just get married now.”

That will wait until November.

For Timmons and Kiraly, more volleyball is the next order of business.

Brazil won the consolation title with a 15-9, 13-15, 15-6, 15-12 victory over South Korea.