Holdren and Rogers Win AVP Opener

How tough was it for Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers to rally from a 13-7 third-game deficit Sunday and defeat Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana, 21-18, 16-21, 17-15, in the championship of the Hermosa Beach Open, the first Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tournament this season?

This rally-scoring, point-per-serve thing is new to the AVP, but Rogers gave it a try anyway: “About 1% [chance],” he said.

Holdren compared the rally to somebody rolling double sixes in craps and admitted that “in this format, they probably did give it to us.”

Blanton and Fonoimoana, the gold medalists at the Sydney Olympics, looked unstoppable in the third game, Blanton keeping the ball alive with back-row dives and Fonoimoana creating chaos defensively at the net.

“We were flat-out getting our [butts] kicked,” Rogers said.

But Holdren, known more for his offense, came up with three blocks in the game, including the winner on Blanton.

“I usually don’t block that many balls for the whole tournament,” Holdren said.

Holdren and Rogers, who live in Santa Barbara, won their eighth tournament and their first in California.

In the women’s division, Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce won a championship together for the first time since August 1997, defeating Barbra Fontana and Elaine Youngs, 21-19, 17-21, 17-15.