Metzger, Wong Draw Line in Sand

Preparation for a pro beach volleyball tournament used to mean staying out until dawn the previous night, rolling out of bed a couple hours later and arriving a few minutes before first serve.

Not anymore.

Stein Metzger and Kevin Wong, the top-seeded men’s team at the Huntington Beach Open, listen to success visualization tapes, consult with a sports psychologist and, when necessary, call a “team meeting” to tackle any differences.

“We definitely take it more seriously than they did back in the day,” Metzger said.

It appears to be working. Metzger and Wong won three matches Saturday, including a 21-13, 21-12 victory over Karch Kiraly and Brent Doble in a winners’ bracket quarterfinal, in the season-opening Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tournament at Huntington Beach.

It was a solid start to what had been a hectic week for Metzger and Wong, former teammates at UCLA and Honolulu Punahou High.

They made an appearance Thursday morning on “The Today Show” and, after flying to L.A. that afternoon from New York, went from LAX to practice at Hermosa Beach.

“It was ugly,” Wong said. “We were tired. We had been up since 5 a.m., 2 a.m. Los Angeles time, for the show. We went at each other a little bit.”

Metzger called a team meeting Friday night to clear the air.

“We talked things out,” Wong said.

Metzger and Wong will play Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman in a winners’ semifinal today.

Eric Fonoimoana and Dax Holdren, one of several teams playing together for the first time, looked strong in a 21-15, 21-14 quarterfinal victory over Scott Ayakatubby and Brian Lewis.

Fonoimoana struggled last year after winning a gold medal with Dain Blanton at the Sydney Olympics, but looked at ease with Holdren.

Fonoimoana and Holdren play Todd Rogers and Sean Scott in a winners’ semifinal today. Kiraly and Doble are still alive in the double-elimination tournament and will play Jeff Nygaard and Albert Hannemann in the contenders’ bracket.

The top-seeded women’s team, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, swept two trouble-free matches. McPeak and Youngs had never competed together until Saturday.

McPeak and Youngs will play Nancy Mason and Wendy Stammer in a winners’ semifinal today. Dianne DeNecochea and Barbra Fontana will play Carrie Busch and Leanne Schuster in the other semifinal.