McPeak, Arce Are Victorious

Third-seeded Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce defeated top-seeded Barbra Fontana Harris and Linda Hanley, 13-12, in sudden-death overtime Sunday to win the Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn. Evian National Championships at Huntington Beach.

Arce tapped the ball over Hanley’s block for a sideout with the score tied, 12-12, as time expired. On the first play of the 30-second overtime, Fontana Harris spiked the ball across court but McPeak dove to keep it alive and Arce ended the game with a kill.

It was the second consecutive tour victory and third overall in five tournaments this season for McPeak and Arce. They have finished third twice and are 28-3 in individual games.

McPeak, the tour’s most valuable player last season, and Arce, the most improved player, joined forces after McPeak split with Nancy Reno after the Olympics, where they placed fifth.

McPeak and Reno won 19 tournaments since April, 1995, and were one of the WPVA’s most successful teams.

McPeak and Arce played together at Manhattan Beach Mira Costa High and for three years at UC Berkeley before McPeak transferred to UCLA and helped the Bruins win the 1990 NCAA title.