LeGrande, Doble Win With New Partners

Most of the top players advanced as expected Saturday in the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Huntington Beach Open. Some just went with new partners.

Although Lee LeGrande and Brent Doble combined to win the AVP’s first tournament this season at Delray Beach, Fla., the duo split up last week.

Doble switched to play with former UCLA standout Stein Metzger and they advanced to today’s winners’ bracket semifinals to face top-seeded Brian Lewis and Canyon Ceman.

LeGrande teamed with Brazilian Franco Neto, and they won three matches, their toughest a 15-9 victory over Paul Baxter and Sean Scott in the quarterfinals.

LeGrande and Neto will play second-seeded Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson in the other winners’ bracket semifinal.

“I was shocked when I got dumped,” LeGrande said. “But it was a wake-up call. I think I was getting too complacent, maybe playing too much golf and not training hard enough.

“But there are no hard feelings.”

Kiraly and Johnson have won a combined 183 titles but haven’t won this season.

Lewis and Ceman won their three matches Saturday, including a 15-5 victory over Bryan Ivie and Collin Smith to advance to the winners’ bracket semifinals. But the top-seeded team received a scare.

Ricci Luyties, formerly of UCLA, and Matt Lyles took a 14-11 lead over Lewis and Ceman in the second round, but the top-seeded team rallied to win, 18-16.

Play continues today with the final scheduled for 4 p.m.

Admission is free.