Wacholder Makes Strides in First Pro Season on Beach

Rachel Wacholder grew up with a beach volleyball court in the front yard of her family’s home in Laguna Beach. She just never used it.

That seems strange considering Wacholder would go on to win Orange County player of the year honors at Laguna Beach High and start for four years at Colorado.

“My dad and mom would play,” Wacholder said. “I just didn’t have the time.”

Between her academic and indoor club volleyball commitments, Wacholder never hit the beach. Now she makes for it.

In her first full season on the pro tour, Wacholder and partner Nancy Mason are making strides. They advanced through the contender’s bracket of Beach Volleyball America’s Long Beach Open Saturday and assured themselves of at least an eighth-place finish.

Wacholder, 25, and Mason, 30, have posted a second- and a fourth-place finish this season and are hoping for a breakthrough today.

“Rachel has matured,” said AVP veteran Lee LeGrande, Wacholder’s boyfriend of 2 1/2 years. “Before, I’d see her make some amazing plays then give up five points in a row.

“But now she’s more mentally stable. Nancy has really helped her.”

Mason lives just minutes away from Wacholder in Hermosa Beach, giving the team plenty of opportunity for practice.

“I want to train with the best so I can improve,” Wacholder said.

Right in her backyard.

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Advancing with Wacholder and Mason through the contender’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament were Ali Wood, formerly of UC Irvine, and Danalee Bragado, Jennifer Meredith and Leanne Schuster and Holly McPeak and Carrie Busch.

Advancing to the winner’s bracket semifinals were top-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, Lisa Arce and Barbra Fontana, Linda Hanley and Karrie Poppinga and Elaine Youngs and Nancy Reno.

Play continues today at 9 a.m. south of the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool. The final is scheduled for approximately 2:30 p.m.

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Misty May and her bum stomach muscle were spectators Saturday, and the 23-year-old from Newport Harbor High and Long Beach State said she will stay on the sidelines until the Sydney Olympics.

May returned from China earlier this week after she and McPeak clinched a U.S. Olympic berth at the FIVB’s final qualifying tournament last weekend.

McPeak played with Busch Saturday as May watched with the injury she suffered at Seal Beach July 9 and aggravated a week later at an FIVB event in Berlin.

The injury was a painful one, though a trip to Sydney will make it worthwhile, May said.

“It hurt whenever I was digging, passing,” May said, “and any time I hit, it felt like someone was stabbing me. I just want to get back to 100%. I’m excited about the Olympics and I know we’re going and everything. But it hasn’t hit me yet.”

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May and McPeak edged out Youngs and Liz Masakayan for the final U.S. Olympic bid--Davis and Johnson Jordan are the top-ranked Olympic-bound American team--and Youngs said Saturday she is finished with pursuing the Olympics.

“I made the Olympic team in ’96 indoors,” said Youngs, who is 30, “so I’ve already done that. I’m done with competing internationally. But yeah, I’m [ticked] we didn’t make it.”

Youngs and Masakayan won two of the last three FIVB events this season, but they still came up short.

“I know we’re better than 14 of the teams that are going to the Olympics,” said Youngs, an El Toro High graduate. “I know we could medal in Sydney; there are four U.S. teams ranked in the top seven in the world. But that’s the system.”

Youngs played with Reno Saturday and will finish the season with her. Masakayan took this week off, but Youngs said she will return next week with a new partner.