Kirby, Rock Had Their Opposition’s Numbers

Karolyn Kirby celebrated her 30th birthday Sunday, but the numbers she was keeping track of all day didn’t go above 15.

Kirby and partner Angela Rock, both of San Diego, overpowered Janice Opalinski-Harrer of San Juan Capistrano and Elaine Roque of Malibu, 15-4, in the championship match of the $40,000 Camp Pendleton Open pro beach volleyball tournament at Club del Beach.

Kirby had 27 kills, a block and an ace, and Rock added 12 kills in the final as they won for the ninth time in 12 tournaments this season.

And how were they going to celebrate the victory, and the birthday?

“Big, big party,” Kirby said. “Lots of people.”

She had reason to celebrate. She and Rock each took home $4,800 for the victory in the 32-team, double-elimination tournament.

Roque and Opalinski-Harrer, who lost to Kirby and Rock, 15-13, in the winners’ bracket finals, came back through the losers’ bracket before falling in the finals. They won $3,600 each.

They served as little more than target practice in the championship game. They had no answer for Kirby and Rock, who played back off the net, digging nearly every ball that came to them. The strong passing game led to several Kirby kills.

“Our strategy was to try and serve them tough,” Opalinski-Harrer said. “But Angela and Karolyn were flawless. You have to hand it to them.

“We had given them a good game in the winners’ bracket match, and we had a chance to win it a couple times. But we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board now.”

Rock and Kirby built leads of 5-0 and 11-1 in the 1 hour 15 minute match. Roque finished with 15 kills and Opalinski-Harrer added eight, but they had no defense against Kirby’s power up front.

“We knew we were in good shape when they couldn’t get off one (point),” said Rock, a former multisport standout at El Toro High School. “We didn’t score a lot of points in bunches. We just kept chipping away at them.”

It was the second time this season that Roque and Opalinski lost to Rock and Kirby. They finished second to the San Diego duo at the Hermosa Beach Open in May.

Rock and Kirby are only two victories away from tying the season record of 11 set by Jackie Silva and Patty Dodd in 1989. There are six tournaments remaining on the tour.

“We haven’t even given it (the record) much thought,” Rock said. “All we’re thinking about is the moment. If we start worrying about the records and opponents we might be playing down the road, we’ll get into all kids of trouble.”

Kirby also is closing in on Silva on the tour’s all-time money winners’ list. Kirby, who has won $49,140 this season, has $101,156 in career winnings to Silva’s $103,754.

Kirby entered the season $46,138 behind Silva, but has cut the deficit while Silva, her former partner, was resting an injured shoulder at the start of this season.