Kiraly Has Found Real Gold on the Sand : Volleyball: He’s already surpassed $2 million and could add $50,000 this weekend if he and Ayakatubby win at Hermosa Beach.

Over the years, Karch Kiraly has proven that he is probably the world’s best volleyball player. As an All-American at UCLA, he led the Bruins to three NCAA titles. As an Olympian, he led the United States to two gold medals. He also made millions playing professionally in Italy. And now, he’s tearing it up on the beach.

Kiraly, 34, has made millions on the sand, something he never imagined possible when he first played beach volleyball as an 11-year-old in Santa Barbara.

Last week Kiraly’s career earnings on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Miller Lite tour surpassed $2 million when he earned an extra $125,000 for clinching first place of a $1-million bonus pool with a tournament victory in Boulder, Colo.

In this weekend’s $250,000 Miller Lite Championships in Hermosa Beach, Kiraly, seeded No. 1 with partner Scott Ayakatubby, can earn $50,000 more for first place. Not bad for a weekend.

“When I started playing on the beach there was nothing, no prize money at all,” said Kiraly, who majored in biochemistry at UCLA. “I didn’t expect there to be any, and I didn’t even dream there would ever be money.

“I think the older guys on the tour, like [Tim] Hovland and [Mike] Dodd, we played before there was money, and we’d still play up and down the coast of California if there wasn’t any prize money because we love the game.”

Kiraly, four times the tour’s most valuable player, is third on the AVP victory list with 109 tournament titles. He began to dominate after teaming up with Kent Steffes in 1992. That year Kiraly and Steffes won 16 titles, including an AVP record 13 consecutive. In 1993 Kiraly-Steffes won 18 events, and last year they won 17.

When Steffes had shoulder surgery in April, Kiraly didn’t miss a beat. He teamed up with Ayakatubby, an explosive 30-year-old from Hermosa Beach, for seven championships. When Steffes returned at the end of July, Kiraly teamed with him again, but the results weren’t like in the good old days, so Kiraly went back to Ayakatubby.

This year Kiraly’s team has won 11 of the 22 AVP events he has entered, three with Steffes before surgery, one after surgery in Santa Cruz earlier this month.

“I was making calls to players as soon as I heard Kent was hurt, and I didn’t expect to do that great with any of them,” Kiraly said. “Out of sheer luck I ended up with Scott, and out of sheer luck he’s playing great volleyball. It has turned out to be a great season, considering.”

On Friday, Kiraly and Ayakatubby cruised through the first two rounds at Hermosa Beach. They defeated No. 33 Dane Hansen and Erik Moore, 15-5, then beat No. 17 Matt Unger and Dan Vbrebalovich, 15-8.

For a guy who is often referred to as the “King of Volleyball” and who has won just about everything there is in the sport, what lies ahead for Karch Kiraly?

“Right now I’m just trying to win at Hermosa with Scott,” Kiraly said. “I don’t think beyond tomorrow or the next day. I really have no long-term goals. I really don’t know how much longer I’ll play.”