This Couple Is in Sync in San Diego

Kerri Walsh had 35 beach volleyball victories with Misty May as her partner, but No. 36 took on an extra-special meaning because she won an Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tournament with her fiance.

Well, sort of.

Walsh and May defeated Brazilians Samirames Marins and Tatiana Minello, 23-21, 21-19, in the women’s final of the San Diego Open on Sunday at Mariner’s Point, and Casey Jennings, who is engaged to Walsh, teamed with Matt Fuerbringer for a 21-16, 21-13 victory over Sean Scott and Todd Rogers in the men’s final.

It was the second career victory for Jennings, but the first on the same day as Walsh.

“It’s a big day,” Walsh said. “The whole time, even before we started, I was feeling pressure that we have to win. I always feel like that, but this was even more special to win on the same day as my fiance.”

Walsh sat on the stage and watched the men’s final with the type of emotion she puts into her matches. She jumped up and down, cheered Jennings-Fuerbringer points and routinely yelled encouragement.

It may have taken its toll on the 2004 women’s most valuable player in the women’s final, which occurred after the men’s. Walsh acknowledged poor play, and the final match was much closer than expected. May and Walsh had defeated the Brazilians, 21-18, 21-11, earlier.

“I didn’t have any legs left,” Walsh said.

That’s because there was plenty to cheer about. Fuerbringer capped an impressive week with dominant performances in the semifinals and the final. He had a tournament-best 38 blocks in six matches, 13 in the final two. Fuerbringer and Jennings lost only one game in the tournament.

The victory also validated Fuerbringer and Jennings as one of the top teams on tour.

They had lost in the finals six times in two years before they broke through with a victory at Belmar, N.J., last year. This was their first appearance in a final since.

“It’s way better this time because it’s for real,” Jennings said. “I think a lot of people had that [second-place] thing on us, and now it’s truly broken. If we get second down the road, it’s not going to be as near a big deal as it would have been. We made a point by making it that big of a win and having that big of a deficit. It proved a lot.”

Walsh and May, on the other hand, showed that they could win even when not at their best. Marins and Minello, who played the tournament on a wild-card entry and have now joined the AVP full time, frustrated the Olympic gold medalists with tough serving, pinpoint shot-making and scrappy defense.

They employed a little-used strategy of serving mostly to Walsh, who had trouble controlling the ball. Marins and Minello led, 18-16, in the first game before May and Walsh rallied, and the second game was tied at 16-16 before the Brazilians hit balls into the net on two of three points to give May and Walsh a 20-17 lead.

“They seemed to push us, but we seemed to win all the big rallies,” May said. “I was excited that we showed fight and we didn’t give up.”