Hanley, Reno Split Up, Then Battle

Linda Hanley and Nancy Reno didn’t appear to be heading in different directions after finishing fourth at the FIVB Chicago Grand Slam last weekend. But Hanley and Reno showed up with new partners Saturday at the BVA Seal Beach Open.

“We actually made the decision to switch before [Chicago],” said Hanley, who turned 40 last month. “But they gave us the wild-card, so we had to go back and play together. It was a great way to finish it off.

“We worked hard for a whole year together and I think we were disappointed with some of our finishes. On the court, we were not able to make bad situations better. We worked at it, but it didn’t come around.”

Hanley, seeded fifth with partner Kerrie Poppinga at Seal Beach, met fourth-seeded Reno and Leanne Schuster in the winner’s bracket quarterfinals. The game was evenly played until Reno and Schuster scored the final three points in their 15-12 victory. Schuster and Poppinga finished 13th in Chicago last weekend.

“[Poppinga] is in a tough spot because she has played with three or four people [this season],’ said Hanley, a Laguna Beach High graduate. “The nicest thing is to get in the groove with someone. With all of us having new partnerships, it’s hard to get going out of the chute.”

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Newport Harbor graduate Misty May isn’t a secret on the beach volleyball tour any longer. Not after finishing in the top three in two previous BVA stops with partner Holly McPeak and then winning in Chicago last weekend.

But there was a time when Costa Mesa’s Valinda Hilleary tried to keep May to herself.

Hilleary teamed up with May early last season after meeting her at a massage clinic, where Hilleary worked. May played her first three events with Hilleary, then was tapped by McPeak late last year.

“She was right out of school and I was like, ‘Hey, you want to play in a tournament with me?’ and she said, ‘Sure,’ ” Hilleary said. “But she didn’t know she was going to win $1,000 and a trip to Florida.

“I tried to keep her a secret, tried to hide her. Now she has gone on to stardom.”

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Ocean View High School graduates Katie and Tracy Lindquist advanced to the main draw in their first professional beach volleyball tournament.

The Lindquist sisters won three games on Friday to advance to the main draw, then nearly upset 10th-seeded Ali Wood and Danalee Bragado in the first round.