Women’s Game Returns to Order

The story line for the women’s tournament at the Manhattan Beach Open centered on change, specifically the breakup of the No. 2 team of Elaine Youngs and Rachel Wacholder, but at the end, it was just like most AVP Pro Beach Volleyball events the last three years: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won.

May-Treanor and Walsh, winners in 34 of their 41 AVP tournaments as a team, beat Youngs and Nancy Mason, 21-13, 21-17, for their second consecutive Manhattan Beach title and third in four years.

May-Treanor and Walsh became the first team to win beach volleyball’s crown jewel in consecutive years since Kathy Gregory and Miki McFadden prevailed in 1977 and ‘78, though Linda Hanley and Nina Matthies won in 1984 and ’86 when there was no tournament in ’85.

“It’s very, very special,” May-Treanor said. “When you say Manhattan, everybody knows there is beach volleyball down there. It’s the tournament everyone wants to win.”

It also ended what Walsh called a two-tournament “drought.” The 2004 Olympic gold medalists last won July 23 at an AVP tournament in Chicago. They were second at an international tour event in Paris, then fifth in Austria, a tournament that ended their streak of 39 consecutive appearances in the final.

“It’s good to be back in the winner’s circle,” Walsh said.

But not unexpected, especially in a week when the breakup of Youngs and Wacholder shook up the women’s draw and made May-Treanor and Walsh heavy favorites. Youngs and Wacholder are the only other women’s team with an AVP victory since Youngs and Holly McPeak won at Hermosa Beach in June 2004.

Youngs was making her fifth consecutive appearance in the Manhattan Beach Open final, and Mason was her third partner during that stretch. The two had to fight through the losers’ bracket and produce a 15-21, 21-19, 15-12 semifinal victory over Tammy Leibl and Dianne DeNecochea, the team that sent them to the losers’ bracket Friday.

Youngs and Mason had about half an hour to recover from that match before the final started.

“When you get into a final after a long day like this, those things come into play,” Youngs said.

It was a mentally exhausting week for Youngs in dealing with the aftermath of her big breakup, which had been the talk of the tournament.

“You had more guys watching women’s volleyball than at any other time in the history of the sport,” said Stein Metzger, who along with Mike Lambert forms the top-seeded men’s team. “Everyone was looking out of the players’ tent trying to see what would happen.”

Youngs said she tried to keep it from distracting her, but it wasn’t easy.

“We’ve all had a very emotional week,” she said.

Mason will now search for a new partner. Youngs has already committed to playing with Nicole Branagh next week in New York. Holly McPeak, Branagh’s partner, is an option, but McPeak is leaning toward playing with Logan Tom, an indoor star who has been playing on the beach this year.

“This week wasn’t super stressful for me,” Mason said. “But now it is. I need to be out there finding a partner.”

Metzger and Lambert, winners of three of the last five men’s tournaments, won two matches Saturday and advanced to the final four undefeated.

Second-seeded Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser also won twice Saturday and advanced to the final four undefeated.

Third-seeded Casey Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings advanced through the losers’ bracket and will play John Hyden and Jeff Nygaard today for a spot in the final four.

Fourth-seeded Dax Holdren and Sean Scott will play Anthony Medel and Fred Souza for the other berth in the final four. Seventh-seeded Karch Kiraly and Larry Witt knocked off No. 5 Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal but lost to Jennings and Fuerbringer to finish seventh.