May-Treanor, Walsh unstoppable

The result was on schedule, the ending just a little delayed.

The top-seeded team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won their third Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Crocs Tour event in a row Saturday afternoon at the Huntington Beach Open, defeating fourth-seeded Rachel Wacholder and Tyra Turner, 21-17, 22-20.

May-Treanor and Walsh scored the winning point about three seconds before anybody in the packed stands realized, as Walsh blocked a spike by Wacholder and Turner sprawled for the dig.

Walsh pointed to the spot where Turner made the dig, claiming she lifted the ball with her outstretched hand, but play continued briefly before it was halted by the chair umpire, who met with the head referee and then ruled in favor of May-Treanor and Walsh.

“She waited a beat and then called it, but it was the right call,” Walsh said of the chair umpire.

From May’s vantage point, it was also clear that Turner had committed a lift violation.

May-Treanor and Walsh had fought back from deficits of 7-1 and 17-13 to score the match point.

“I think had [the ball] come off [her hand] a little faster, it would’ve been OK, but it kind of stuck,” said May-Treanor, who split $20,000 with Walsh for the victory.

“You don’t want to see a game end like that, or on a missed set, but. . . .”

Turner and Wacholder, who came through the loser’s bracket after losing earlier in the day in a winner’s bracket semifinal against May-Treanor and Walsh, will get another opportunity at a sizable payday, as they were one of four teams to advance to today’s Cuervo Gold Crown.

In addition to May-Treanor and Walsh, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs and Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan will try for the $25,000 purse on the same courts.

On the men’s side, top-seeded Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers also kept their record perfect on the AVP this season, knocking off third-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan, 21-14, 22-20, in the championship match.

Those teams also qualified for today’s Cuervo Gold Crown, along with Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal and Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings. The men’s final is scheduled for approximately 1:30 p.m. and the women’s final at 3.

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dan.arritt@latimes.com