BEACH VOLLEYBALL : Kiraly Team Succumbs to Injury With Big Lead

Karch Kiraly’s quest to win a Federation Internationale De Volleyball tournament in Hermosa Beach ended Saturday when back pain forced his partner, Scott Ayakatubby, to withdraw from a winners’ bracket quarterfinal match.

Ayakatubby left without commenting, but tournament chiropractor Glen Drobot said Ayakatubby was suffering from acute severe lower back spasms.

Kiraly and Ayakatubby, who were forced to qualify for the 32-team event and were seeded 28th, led Brazilians Jose Ferreira and Emanuel Rego, 12-3, when Ayakatubby left the court for medical treatment.

“It’s disappointing because I was playing with a guy who could barely walk and we were still leading what supposedly is the second-ranked team in the world by 10 points,” Kiraly said. “Hopefully Mike and Mike can carry the banner for the U.S.”

Kiraly was referring to Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh, the top-ranked team in the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals. Dodd, a native of nearby Manhattan Beach, and Whitmarsh won both matches Saturday and will meet France’s Christian Penigaud and Jean-Philippe Jodard in today’s Olympic crossing semifinal.

Dodd-Whitmarsh beat Brazilians Roberto Da Costa and Franco Neto Vieira, 15-10, in the morning and Americans Carl Henkel and Sinjin Smith, 15-7, in the afternoon.

In today’s women’s Olympic crossing semifinal at 9 a.m., Brazilians Jackie Silva and Sandra Pires, ranked No. 1 in the world, will meet Americans Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno.

McPeak-Reno defeated a pair of American teams. They beat Liz Masakayan and Karolyn Kirby, 15-8, and Dennie Knoop and Deb Richardson, 15-7.