PRO VOLLEYBALL AT SEAL BEACH : Kiraly, Steffes Overcome Slow Start to Win

If they really were cradled in a false sense of security Friday, Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes needed only to remember last year’s early exit from the Seal Beach pro beach volleyball tournament to find some motivation.

After easily handling Andrew Smith and Wes Welch in a series of training matches this week, Kiraly and Steffes had to overcome a sluggish start when the teams met Friday in the second round of the $150,000 Miller Lite Open at Seal Beach.

Leading 8-6, top-seeded Kiraly and Steffes scored seven of the next eight points to post a 15-7 victory over 17th-seeded Smith and Welch.

Kiraly, of San Clemente, and Steffes, of Pacific Palisades, advanced to today’s quarterfinal match against eighth-seeded Eric Fonoimoana and Tim Hovland.

Other quarterfinal matchups are fifth-seeded Brent Frohoff and Bruk Vandeweghe against fourth-seeded Scott Ayakatubby and Adam Johnson of Capistrano Beach; third-seeded Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh against sixth-seeded Ricci Luyties and Sinjin Smith; and seventh-seeded Eduardo (Anjinho) Bacil against second-seeded Brian Lewis and Randy Stoklos.

Kiraly and Steffes are volleyball’s most successful team this season, winning 10 of the past 11 tournaments, including the last six.

But Kiraly has never won at Seal Beach in the tournament’s 10-year history.

He and Steffes took a 13-tournament winning streak into last year’s Seal Beach event, tying a tour record, but were upset in the quarterfinals by Tim Walmer and Scott Friederichsen, and were eliminated in the losers’ bracket by Lewis and Whitmarsh.

“I’ve never won at Seal Beach and, of course, I would like to,” Kiraly said. “It’s one of the few spots where I have never won.

“We had won 13 in a row when we came here last year, and this was the one that ended it. I can’t say I have any regrets, though.”

Although never in serious trouble, Kiraly and Steffes struggled somewhat against Welch, of San Clemente, and Smith, the brother of tour star Sinjin Smith.

Welch and Smith kept within striking distance, trailing, 8-6, before Kiraly and Steffes got going.

Kiraly had three big blocks and Steffes added a kill during the 7-1 run that sealed the match.

“We just started slowly,” Kiraly said. “We practiced against them this week, and we had played well against them. They figured they had nowhere to go but up against us this time.”

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Close call: The Brazilian team of Bacil and Jose Loiola survived a first-round scare from 26th-seeded Brett Gonnerman and Lance Lyons of Dana Point.

Lyons, a former Orange Coast College player, and Gonnerman held a 13-12 lead before the Brazilians rallied to tie it, 13-13, in the final seconds. Bacil and Loiola won it in overtime when Gonnerman hit into the net.

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Beach bucks: For the first time in the tournament’s history, the Seal Beach event is charging between $10 and $50 for courtside seating.

The Assn. of Volleyball Professionals began charging at most of its sites this season. Bleacher seating is still free.

Kiraly said paid seating “adds to the professionalism” of the tour.

“People have been asking for a long time if they could buy good seats instead of camping out on Thursday night to get them,” he said. “And I think it helps many people back on the East Coast take our sport more seriously when they see people paying to watch us play.”

Tournament notes

Competition resumes at 10 a.m. today with the men’s quarterfinals and round-robin play in the women’s tournament. The women’s final is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sunday, followed by the men’s final at 2 p.m. The women’s teams scheduled to compete: top-seeded Cammy Ciarelli and Holly McPeak, second-seeded Angela Rock and Nancy Reno, third-seeded Jackie Silva and Linda Hanley and fourth-seeded Linda Carrillo and Rita Crockett.

Results

First round

Karch Kiraly-Kent Steffes d. Brent Couture-Todd Schaefer, 15-1; Andrew Smith-Wes Welch d. Larry Mear-Scott Friederichsen, 14-13; Al Janc-Craig Moothart d. Owen McKibbin-Jeff Rodgers, 15-9; Eric Fonoimoana-Tim Hovland d. Bill Suwara-Kevin Waterbury, 15-8, Brent Frohoff-Bruk Vandeweghe d. Chris Hanneman-Tony Zapata, 15-4; Steve Timmons-John Hanley d. Mark Kerins-Kevin Martin, 15-5; Bill Boullianne-Leif Hanson d. Shawn Davis-Jim Nichols, 15-11; Scott Ayakatubby-Adam Johnson d. Kirk Kandler-Mike Minier, 15-7.

Mike Dodd-Mike Whitmarsh d. Ed Carrillo-David Rottman, 15-3; Robert Chavez-John Brajevic d. Brian Gatzke-David Swatik, 15-8; Tim Walmer-Dan Vrebalovich d. Matt Sonnichsen-Mike Stafford, 15-3; Ricci Luyties-Sinjin Smith d. Neil Riddell-Mike Mattarocci, 15-7; Eduardo Bacil-Jose Loiola d. Lance Lyons-Brett Gonnerman, 14-13 (OT); Troy Tanner-Eric Wurts d. Albert Hanneman-Adam Unger, 15-4; Marcelo Duarte-Chris Young d. Eric Boyles-Doug Foust, 14-8; Brian Lewis-Randy Stoklos d. Daniel Cardenas-Jeff Southcott, 15-3.

Second round

Kiraly-Steffes d. Smith-Welch, 15-7; Fonoimoana-Hovland d. Janc-Moothart, 15-9; Frohoff-Vandeweghe d. Hanley-Timmons, 15-9; Ayakatubby-Johnson d. Boullianne-Hanson, 15-1; Dodd-Whitmarsh d. Chavez-Brajevic, 15-3; Luyties-Smith d. Walmer-Vrebalovich, 15-5; Bacil-Loiola d. Tanner-Wurts, 15-8; Stoklos-Lewis d. Duarte-Young, 15-4.

Today’s quarterfinals

Kiraly-Steffes vs. Fonoimoana-Hovland; Frohoff-Vandeweghe vs. Ayakatubby-Johnson; Dodd-Whitmarsh vs. Luyties-Smith; Bacil-Loiola vs. Stoklos-Lewis.