O’Hara and Schritter Speak Volumes

This duo is more than dynamic.

The word flamboyant comes to mind when discussing Marla O’Hara, a 13-year pro beach volleyball veteran whose vociferous on-court demeanor is matched only by the number of body piercings she has--10.

And a sense of valor is evident from O’Hara’s partner, Kristin Schritter, who has overcome three major knee and leg injuries in a four-year pro career that lacked big-time victories . . . until Saturday.

O’Hara and Schritter, seeded No. 19, pulled off two upsets in the Santa Monica Open, part of the Beach Volleyball America women’s tour.

They stunned third-seeded Lisa Arce and Barbara Fontana, 15-13, and then defeated sixth-seeded Stephanie Cox and Kathy Eldridge by the same score to advance to today’s quarterfinals.

“Any team can upset any team at any time . . . this is just one of those moments,” O’Hara said.

Schritter has been waiting for such a moment.

She suffered a broken leg in each of her first two years and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee last year.

“I’ve been carried off the court three times,” she said. “Every day I play volleyball I’m grateful. I know I shouldn’t be here [playing].”

Schritter seems to have found a match in O’Hara, a brown belt in karate who is one of the more communicative players.

“Marla has a lot of energy and a lot of people don’t understand that,” said Schritter, a relative newcomer to volleyball who attended UC Santa Barbara on a soccer scholarship. “We feed off each other well.”

O’Hara and Schritter will play second-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan today.

The top-seeded team of Misty May and Holly McPeak advanced to the quarterfinals with a 15-1 victory over Carrie Busch and Leanne Schuster.

McPeak had several aces in a match that lasted only 20 minutes.

“It definitely helps,” she said. “They’re a scrappy little team and the way we get them--or any team--in trouble is through serving well.”

May and McPeak today face fifth-seeded Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs.