BEACH VOLLEYBALL : Stork Brings Sideout Victory at Seal Beach

With the world’s best setter as captain, Sideout won the Pro Beach Volleyball League four-man tournament at Seal Beach on Sunday.

Jeff Stork, a two-time Olympian and current member of the U.S. national team, led Sideout to its second title of the season with a 15-12, 15-10 victory over Paul Mitchell in the final. Each match in the round-robin tournament was best-of-three with rally scoring.

When Sideout won its first title, at Clearwater Beach, Fla., in March, Stork, a former Pepperdine standout, was still competing in an Italian professional indoor league. “This really feels great,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say we dominated the match from the start.”

Sideout led throughout the first game and broke away with a permanent lead in the second shortly after Paul Mitchell tied it at 4-4. Paul Mitchell held off two match points before caving in.

“I think Sideout is the strongest team in the league,” said Paul Mitchell’s captain, Jeff Williams, who played at UCLA. “I think we also came out a little flat, though.”

Paul Mitchell committed eight errors, Sideout none. Doug Partie, Sideout’s 6-foot-6 middle blocker who also competed at UCLA, had nine kills and four blocks in the final. Steve Salmons, another former Bruin, led Paul Mitchell with nine kills.

Sideout’s players will split $12,050, Paul Mitchell’s $9,950.