BEACH VOLLEYBALL : Allen, Cut From National Team, Makes Comeback on Four-Man Circuit

Allen Allen’s hopes of playing on the 1992 U.S. Olympic volleyball team suffered a serious blow when he was dropped from the team’s World League roster last week.

Allen, an outside hitter from Samoa, has been with the U.S. team since 1989. He still practices with the team in San Diego, but his chances of making the roster are slim.

“It was tough for me because I’ve been kicking butt,” Allen said. “I’ve proven that I can play at that level. But the coaches had to make a decision who to go with.”

But Allen might have found a new venue to play this weekend--the beach.

Allen’s all-around skills helped Team Speedo to a 2-0 start Saturday in the four-man American Beach Volleyball League at Irvine’s Lakeshore Towers. The tournament concludes today with finals at 3 p.m.

Allen was the top pick in the league’s draft in February. This is his first season on the beach tour.

“I was surprised to be the top pick,” he said. “I think people just assume I’ve played on the beach before because I’ve lived in Hawaii (since 1976).”

His early exit from the World League also came as a surprise. He started for the United States in 1990, and was considered the team’s best all-around blocker. Although only 6 feet 2, his 40-inch vertical jump made him a factor at the net.

But the return of several veteran players from the Italian Leagues has expanded the U.S. roster to 22, four more than the World League allows. Allen was one of the casualties.

“It’s a tough situation,” Allen said. “These players come back and everyone says it’s a tryout to make the team. But we (younger players) don’t even have a chance to compete against them.”

Still, Allen remains optimistic.

“Coming out of college (Hawaii), my goal has been to play on the ’92 Olympic team,” he said. “But if I can’t do it in ‘92, I’ll be back in ’96. I think it will be just as exciting in ’96.”

Missing in action: Carlos Briceno, a U.S. national team member from Fountain Valley High and Golden West College, was waived from Team B.U.M. Equipment by captain Craig Buck. Briceno was replaced on the roster by Steve Rottman of Santa Barbara, one of the founders of the league.

Team Club captain Jeff Stork, who’s expected to be the starting setter on the U.S. Olympic team, missed the Irvine tournament because of a sprained ankle he sustained during practice in San Diego. He’s expected to return to action soon.

Missing in action II: The crowd was sparse for the first day of competition.

Still, Craig Ellege, president of the American Beach Volleyball League, said he wasn’t disappointed with the estimated turnout of 1,000.

Volleyball Notes

After the 10-match, round-robin play, the team with the best record earns an automatic bye to the finals. The two teams with the next-best records will play for the second spot in the finals. . . . Team Op and Team Speedo each have won two of the first four tournaments.

The women’s four-player exhibition match is scheduled for 2 p.m. today and will feature U.S. national team players Kim Oden of Irvine and Tammy Liley of Westminster.