Kirby, Rock Win at Hermosa Beach

Karolyn Kirby and Angela Rock never intended to play professional beach volleyball as a team. But Kirby’s 1990 partner, Jackie Silva, the world’s winningest beach pro, has been injured for the first six tournaments on the 1991 Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn. tour.

So Kirby asked Rock to team with her, and they have dominated the tour, winning four of six events, including the Hermosa Open Sunday. They went practically untested through the $40,000 tournament and defeated third-seeded Janice Opalinski and Elaine Roque, 15-8, in the final for the $9,600 first prize.

Roque-Opalinski beat Liz Masakayan and Nancy Reno, 15-3, in the final of the consolation bracket for the right to play undefeated Rock-Kirby in the championship match.

“Undoubtedly they are the toughest serving team out there,” Roque said. “They always hustle and they play with a lot of speed. They’re kind of like a vacuum that sucks you up.”