WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL VOLLEYBALL ASSN. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Dodd and Roque Try to Draw a Line in the Sand : Volleyball: The teammates, who have advanced into the semifinals, will attempt to end their tournament victory droughts today.

It has been 42 events since Patty Dodd, who lives in El Segundo, won a pro beach volleyball tournament. Her partner, Elaine Roque, has not won a title in 34 Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn. tour stops. That drought could end today in the $80,000 Coors Light World Championships at Manhattan Beach.

It’s the last tournament of the year and the biggest and most prestigious. Fifth-seeded Dodd and Roque earned a spot in today’s semifinals against top-seeded Linda Carrillo and Liz Masakayan.

Dodd and Roque defeated fourth-seeded Cammy Ciarelli and Holly McPeak of Manhattan Beach, 15-7, in a quarterfinal match on center court Saturday. All four women were All-Americans at UCLA. Ciarelli and McPeak, a former Mira Costa High player, have a 14-7 match record in their fourth tournament together. They have finished third twice and fourth once.

Dodd and Roque have a 34-16 record in their ninth tournament and have reached the final only once. They have also finished third once and fourth three times.

On Saturday Dodd and Roque beat unseeded Kathleen Luciano and Tammy Rhodes, 15-3, in the first round and 12th-seeded Wendy Fletcher and Heather Hafner, 15-4, in the second.

Dodd and Roque trailed, 7-3, in the quarterfinal match against McPeak and Ciarelli, but scored 12 unanswered points to earn the victory.

“Not having won a tournament in so long is a great incentive,” said Dodd, who is a kindergarten teacher in Lennox. “But there’s no pressure. I haven’t won this year, but I’ve played really hard and I have given 100%.”

Dodd and Roque will be tested against Carrillo and Masakayan, a tough serving team that blocks and attacks with great consistency. Masakayan, a former UCLA All-American, is one of the tour’s best servers and most powerful hitters. Carrillo is a solid blocker who has won three World Championships, including the 1992 title with Masakayan.

“They’re going to get points with tough serves and if we can stop that we’ll be OK,” Dodd said.

The other semifinal will have second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno playing third-seeded Jackie Silva and Angela Rock. Kirby and Reno had a bye, then struggled to beat No. 18 Helen Reale and Debbi Black, 15-10, in the second round.

They came back strong in the quarterfinals to beat 10th-seeded Dennie Knoop and Ali Johnson, 15-4, on center court. As the top-seeded team at the Aug. 2 U.S. Open in Venice Beach, Reno and Kirby finished ninth and lost their No. 1 seeding.

But last week they teamed to win a $50,000 exhibition tournament in Spain. Reno, a former Stanford All-American and U.S. national team member, said the victory helped lift the team’s spirits.

“The victory in Spain did a lot for our confidence . . . We got our rhythm back,” she said. “Now it’s like we’re going after it. There’s no fear.”

Silva and Rock looked good in only their third tournament together. They had a bye before routing 14th-seeded Jackie Campbell and Stephanie Cox, 15-0. An hour later they defeated six-seeded Gail Castro and Janice Harrer, 15-6, in a quarterfinal match on center court.

Silva and Rock came out firing with an 8-1 lead. Castro and Harrer scored three unanswered points to rally within 8-4, but Rock and Silva played flawless defense to secure an 11-4 lead.

At 14-6, Harrer and Castro fought off five match points, but Silva’s serve was returned short by Castro and Rock pounded it at the net for the game-winner.

Rock, who won a record 17 WPVA tournaments with Kirby in 1991, is looking forward to playing against her old partner. Kirby and Rock won five events earlier this year before Kirby left to play with Reno.

“It’s going to be a great game,” said Rock, a former San Diego State All-American and U.S. national team member. “I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve never played them with Jackie. This is the good part.”

The semifinal matches begin at 9:30 a.m. near the Manhattan Beach Pier. The final is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.