Just Another Day at Beach for Rock, Kirby : Volleyball: Top-seeded team romps to three easy victories to earn a spot in today’s semifinals.

Angela Rock and Karolyn Kirby went through their routine at the Manhattan Beach Open on Saturday. The top-seeded team cruised to three victories and earned a spot in today’s semifinal against Linda Carrillo and Liz Masakayan.

Rock and Kirby have dominated the 1991 Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn. tour, winning seven of 10 tournaments and earning a season-high $39,540 each.

Their record going into today’s 9:30 a.m. match is 62-8. The team has gone undefeated in five tournaments, including last month’s Hermosa Open, where they beat Elaine Roque and Janice Opalinski-Harrer, 15-8, for the title.

“Undoubtedly they’re the toughest serving team out there,” said Roque after the Hermosa tournament. “They also hustle and they play with speed. They’re kind of like a vacuum that will suck you up.”

On Saturday Rock and Kirby, both from San Diego, went virtually unchallenged through the quarterfinals. They shut out qualifiers Barbara Bierman and Ali Wood in the first round. Then they beat 17th-seeded Rita Crockett-Royster and Jackie Silva, 15-4, in the second round and Manhattan Beach natives Holly McPeak and Barbara Fontana, 15-2, in the quarterfinals.

“They’re very powerful and they’re great athletes,” said McPeak, who lost to Kirby and Rock, 16-14, in Santa Cruz last weekend.

The only team that has consistently beat Kirby and Rock is Gail Castro and Lori Kotas. Five of Rock and Kirby’s losses have come against Castro and Kotas, who won the Reno Invitational Shootout June 1-2. The other losses were against Carrillo and Nina Matthies (twice) and Carrillo and Masakayan, who recently teamed up.

“We have to play really well to beat them,” said Kotas who will meet Roque and Opalinski-Harrer in today’s other semifinal at 9:30 a.m. “We both have to play at our best to get by them. They’re a very physical and strong team and they’re quick. They’re tough all around.”

Kirby and Rock are considered the best offensive team on tour. The 5-foot-11 Kirby is a powerful attacker at the net, a good blocker and consistent server. The 5-8 Rock has a powerful jump serve that continues to bother opponents. A firefighter for the City of San Diego, Rock’s muscular physique has earned her the nickname “The Rock.”

“She has a wicked serve,” said Matthies, who has been ranked among the WPVA’s top five players since the organization was formed in 1987. “She rattles off six, seven, eight aces in a match.

“Together they’re great because they compliment each other. They’re both very strong and they work very hard. They are excellent athletes.”

Ironically, Kirby and Rock never intended to play pro beach volleyball together. The two former U.S. National team members had other partners lined up for the 1991 season.

Rock was going to team with Crockett-Royster and Kirby with Silva. In 1990 Kirby and Silva won seven tournaments together.

But two weeks before the first tournament, Kirby learned that Silva could not play because of a shoulder injury.

So she asked Rock if she wanted to become her partner. The timing was perfect because Crockett-Royster was still competing indoors in Italy and would not be available for the start of the season.

“I really did expect this success,” said Kirby, who will turn 30 next week. “I knew Angela was a strong player and she spent the whole winter training.”

Rock, 28, was an All-American outside hitter at San Diego State. She played for the U.S. National team for five years and has played sporadically on the beach for the past five seasons. This is only her second full season on the tour.

Kirby was an All-American setter at Utah State and Kentucky. She also was as an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that earned a silver medal in Los Angeles. Last year she was the WPVA’s most valuable player and best offensive player.

“I have the perfect partner,” said Rock, an intense athlete who often yells and clenches her fists between points. “She’s kind of like a coach on the court for me. She’s like the soul of our team. She always gets me in the frame of mind to play.”

Kirby says sometimes she feels invincible with Rock at her side.

“When we play our game and we play focused it really does feel like we can’t be touched. People still play us extra hard, though. They want that chance to beat the No. 1 team.”

WPVA Executive Director Roxana Vargas says Kirby and Rock always play as if competing in a championship match.

“There’s excellent chemistry there,” Vargas said. “They get fired up for every single game and they’re always focused. They go out there and give 100% every time.”

Although Rock says sometimes it can be difficult to get pumped up for a match, Kirby helps her concentrate.

“We’re the team to beat and we have to prove it every time we step on the court,” Rock said. “We have to prove that we’re the most consistent team out there. We’re going to kick butt no matter who they are. There’s a lot of good teams out there and anybody can beat you. You always have to remember that.”

Sometimes however, that can be difficult to remember. Kirby and Rock haven’t lost since a 15-13 setback to Carrillo and Masakayan on June 2.