BEACH VOLLEYBALL : Oden’s Team Racks Up Another Victory

Kim Oden’s Team Sony Autosound continued its dominance of the Pro Beach Volleyball League on Sunday at Manhattan Beach by defeating Gabrielle Reece’s Team Nike, 15-8, 16-14, to win its seventh tournament of the eight played this season.

In the men’s division, Scott Fortune’s Team Sony Autosound defeated Bob Ctvrtlik’s Team Naya, 18-16, 15-7, to win its first tournament.

Oden, who is trying to win a second consecutive league championship, had a match-high seven kills and seven blocks in the final in leading Team Autosound to the $10,000 first prize.

“We’re really not that much better [than the other teams],” Oden said. “When you get to this level, it’s just the little, little things. The thing that sets us apart, if there is anything, is chemistry.”

Not to mention talent. Oden, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, was a bronze medalist with the 1992 U.S. Olympic team and was named Stanford’s player of the decade in the 1980s, and Antoinnette White, a 5-9 outside hitter, was the 1991 NCAA player of the year at Long Beach State.

Team Autosound recovered from a disappointing 1-2 record in Friday’s pool play by defeating Liane Sato’s Team Paul Mitchell, 15-13, 15-10, in Sunday’s consolation match to advance to the final. Then it it ran into a disoriented and slightly disabled Team Nike.

Reece’s usual setter, Julie Bremner, had other commitments and the team never came together with substitute Jennifer Meredith. What’s more, Katy Eldridge played the last three-quarters of the final with a broken toe. But Reece, whose team was undefeated Friday, refused to point fingers after Oden spiked the winning shot.

“I wish I could make excuses, but the thing is we just didn’t play well,” Reece said.

On the men’s side, Team Sony Autosound defeated Jeff Stork’s Team Sideout, 15-12, 13-15, 7-4, in a semifinal to advance.

Then Team Naya had difficulty hitting around Team Autosound’s imposing block of 6-6 Fortune and 6-9 Craig Buck.