Top Teams Won’t Skip Seal Beach This Weekend

While the men squabble over which teams can play on both the domestic and the international Olympic-qualifying tour--the FIVB--the stateside women’s tour has no such problems.

After many of the top American women’s teams played in one of the most important Olympic-qualifying events that ended Tuesday in Chicago, the majority of those top teams will also participate in the Beach Volleyball America tour’s Seal Beach Open, which begins todaywith qualifying matches.

This week, the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals men’s tour is in Santa Barbara for the Karch Kiraly Classic. But one of the men’s top-ranked teams--Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana--has been suspended from the AVP.

Blanton and Fonoimoana are the No. 3 team in the U.S. Olympic qualification rankings--the top two teams qualify for Sydney--so they are in Norway for this week’s FIVB event. Conflicting dates of events on the FIVB and AVP tours have forced them to choose between chasing an Olympic dream or fully supporting the domestic tour.

Blanton and Fonoimoana said they are just trying to qualify for the Olympics by playing in more FIVB events. AVP CEO Bill Berger said the team is in breach of contract with its initial commitment to his domestic tour. The sides have yet to meet to settle the conflict.

Conflicting schedules are not a problem for the women’s tours this week. The BVA scheduled the Seal Beach Open, which was originally pegged for Santa Barbara, during an off-week for the FIVB. So fans should get to see most of the top American teams, though there are plenty of reasons for the top teams to skip the BVA event.

Top-seeded Misty May, from Newport Harbor High and Long Beach State, and partner Holly McPeak just won their first FIVB event in Chicago, where they earned $32,000. The BVA’s total purse for Seal Beach is $75,000, with a first prize of $15,000.

McPeak and May are ranked third in the U.S. Olympic qualification rankings. They might benefit from a week of rest to gear up for next week’s FIVB tournament in Berlin, where they will attempt to continue their climb toward a berth in Sydney. But the duo will play at Seal Beach.

So will Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, the top-ranked team in the Olympic qualification rankings and fourth-ranked Lisa Arce and Barbra Fontana. Second-ranked Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs, formerly of El Toro High, were entered but withdrew from the tournament Thursday.

Eight berths for the main draw are at stake in today’s qualification tournament, which begins at 9 a.m and continues through 5 p.m.

The 24-team main draw begins Saturday and continues Sunday, with play beginning at 9 a.m. both days. The finals are scheduled at approximately 2:30 Sunday. Admission is free.

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Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball

* What: Seal Beach Open

* When: Today-Sunday

* Where: Seal Beach Pier

* Players entered: Some of the top teams include Misty May and Holly McPeak, Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, Lisa Arce and Barbra Fontana, Leanne Schuster and Carrie Busch.

* Purse: $75,000. First prize--$15,000; second--$10,500; third--$7,500.

* Schedule: Today--qualification tournament, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday--24-team main draw, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday--main draw continues, 9 a.m. with final scheduled at approximately 2:30 p.m.

* Admission: Free.

* Parking: Free, with free shuttle service to the site from U.S. Naval Weapons Station, Liberty Gate lot, near Seal Beach Boulevard and Westminster Avenue. Public lots available at 1st, 8th and 10th streets in Seal Beach.

* Web site:

https://www.bvatour.com

* Information: (858) 486-8659.