Blomquist Finds Solace in Volleyball

Some athletes have a way of inspiring others through strength--on and off the court. Consider Krista Blomquist.

Playing in her first tournament since the death of her mother last month, Blomquist and partner Danalee Bragado beat eighth-seeded Gail Castro and Gayle Stammer, 15-9, Friday in the second round of the Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn. Evian National Championships at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Blomquist’s mother, Daryl, 69, died after a swimming accident near her home in Branford, Conn. A neighbor spotted Daryl in the water near a jetty on July 18 and pulled her out and resuscitated her. Blomquist received a call a few hours later.

“My first feeling was shock because she was totally healthy. She looked better than when she was 60. She was really happy,” she said.

Blomquist flew to Connecticut the next day to be with her mother in the hospital. After a week in a coma, however, Daryl died July 26.

“Some days are tough and some days aren’t,” she said. “I think having volleyball to come back to has really helped.”

Blomquist played basketball at Connecticut before graduating in 1988. She began playing beach volleyball after college while she was living in Florida and moved to Hermosa Beach in 1993 to play the sport full-time.

Bragado, who placed second in an FIVB tournament at Osaka, Japan, with Pat Keller while Blomquist was in Connecticut with her mother, tried not to put any pressure on Blomquist.

“I came in [thinking] ‘I don’t know what Krista’s state is and I’m just going to be very supportive,’ ” she said.

Blomquist and Bragado defeated Kristi Atkinson and Lael Perlstrom-Fresenius in the first round, 15-5. Against Castro and Stammer, Blomquist struggled at the start and they fell behind, 6-2.

“You don’t want to ever feel sorry for yourself, but I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve been through a lot,’ ” she said. “I said, ‘If I lose this game, it’s not going to be because I’m playing like this.’ ”

Blomquist looked to the side of the court and saw her future mother-in-law, Nancy Hall, giving her the thumbs-up sign. Blomquist, who has a charming way of laughing gleefully after she scores a point, and Bragado went on a 6-0 run to take the lead and never looked back.

Blomquist and her fiance, Steve Hall, are discussing wedding dates, but it is difficult for Blomquist to imagine without her mother there.

“Whether we [got married] in six months or in a year, it would be hard,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I think my mom would want it to be now.”

Play today will begin at 8 a.m. and Blomquist and Bragado, seeded ninth, will play top-seeded Barbra Fontana Harris and Linda Hanley in the championship bracket quarterfinals at 10 a.m.

The rest of the seeded teams advanced according to form. Second-seeded Nancy Reno and Karolyn Kirby won their first two matches and will play Karrie Poppinga and Deb Richardson in the championship bracket quarterfinals and third-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak also won two matches and will play Elaine Roque and Dennie Shupryt-Knoop.