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SEE BELMAR 2001 EVENT COVERAGE SCROLL TO BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE BUT CHECK OUT THE LINKS AS THEY ARE STILL INFORMATIVE THIS YEAR
AVP-PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL ANNUAL EVENT
AVP TOUR EVENT INFORMATION BELMAR 2001
VOLLEYBALL.ORG BELMAR 2001 EVENT INFO
DIRECTIONS TO BELMAR NJ SUNKIST AVP EVENT FOR FANS & PLAYERS
DIRECTIONS TO THE OFFICIAL EVENT HOTEL Ocean Place Conference Resort
Partys and What's Going On : Wednesday July 19th 2000 6pm clinic/Meet the players @ Headliner
Thursday July 20th 2000 10pm Rage @ Reggies
Friday July 21st 2000 5-6:30pm Sunkist AVP Free Youth Clinic 7:30pm Player Dinner/Party D'Jais
Saturday July 22nd 2000 9am Sunkist AVP Belmar Open Begins 9pm Official Tour Party @ Bar A
Sunday July 23rd 2000 8:30am Sunkist AVP Belmar Open Begins Play 9am Sunkist AVP Youth Tour Begins 4pm AVP Finals Begins
Photos AVP Belmar 2001 Open
Sunset on the Shark River Inlet in Belmar,New Jersey
"Images of America: Belmar I&II"(click on the pic above)
AVP-Pro Beach Volleyball on the Jersey Shore(click on pic for current event info)
Uncle Nick & The I-MAN in Belmar July 1998
Adam Jewel, Albert Hanneman & Danny Belmar 1999
Ian Clark & young fan Danny at Belmar July 1998
David Swatik Belmar 1999
Belmar Beach AVP 1999
Mike Cole & David Valenti "IMANFANS4EVER" Belmar 2000
Local Asbury Park Press article about the 1999 AVP Belmar Beach Open
Sam Lagana AVP Voice Of Belmar's Past
Chris "Geeter"McGee
HERE'S DA BEEF Bill AKA "Beef" Boullianne 2001
Chad,Adam & Ian give a thumbs up to Belmar's nitelife
Some Joisey Girls!!!
FRIDAY JULY 21ST-2000-10PM MEET THE COORS LIGHT GIRLS AT PAT'S TAVERN IN BELMAR(last year)see Bar Event schedule for current events) July 2001 Meet the Coor's Lite Girls Schedule Click on the picture for the girls......
Asbury Park Press Photos By Tanya Breen
Mister Belmar"MIKE WHITMARSH"wins again last year 2000 with Canyon Ceman!!! 4 Time and current record holder tying Karch Kiraly who has also won 4 events here!!! 1997 Mike Whitmarsh/Canyon Ceman 1998 Mike Whitmarsh/Kent Steffes 1999 Mike Whitmarsh/David Swatik 2000 Mike Whitmarsh/Canyon Ceman
Volleyball Magazine-November1998 Your Serve Section Volleyball Magazine Click on this link above during the Belmar 2000 AVP event for scores and discussions in the outdoors forums.
Larry,Kim,Kevin,Kyle and Brandon Mariano Kendall Park,New Jersey
*courtesy of Volleyball Magazine
LOCAL WEATHER REPORT Find out what the weather will be like for the Belmar,NJ AVP annual tour event or before heading for your favorite local Jersey Shore beaches !!!
Belmar Beach on the Belmar Cam Newly Refurbished Belmar Marina
Sandcastle Building on Belmar Beach Beachgoers Soaking Up The Rays
Community Resources City Of Belmar,NJ
BELMAR.COM
BELMAR NJ SHOPPING,MAIN STREET & MORE
Play Volleyball with the Playboy Playmates Xtremeteam at BAR-A July7th,2001 South Belmar,NJ July 7th,2001 Bar Anticipation Pre-register your team one week prior to the tournament 703-5 16th Ave BELMAR,NJ 10 AM Signups ($10) fee Noon-4:00PM-Games,Parties Click on the dog above for photos of the Xtreme Team....
Click the Banners above for Belmar,NJ Nitelife during the event!!!
BELMAR CAM BARS,PUBS & CLUBS
In South Belmar, they love the night life
Concerts:
James Taylor PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ Friday -- July 6th;Saturday--July7th, 2001 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Cost:$25
The Beach Boys PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ Tuesday -- July 10, 2001 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Cost:$25
Rod Stewart PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ Wednesday -- July 11, 2001 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Cost:$25
Chicago PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ Saturday -- July 14, 2001 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Cost:$25
Paul Simon/Brian Wilson PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ Friday-- July 20, 2001 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Cost:$25
Stevie Nicks/Jeffrey Gains PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ Saturday-- July 21, 2001 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM Cost:$25
Places to eat while in Belmar,New Jersey
This week's recipe: Belmar baked fluke
Men's $75,000 Sunkist AVP Belmar Open July 21-23, 2000 Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings 1 Canyon Ceman Mike Whitmarsh 4 $16,000.00 2 Nick Hannemann Adam Jewell 10 $10,000.00 3 Brent Doble Stein Metzger 6 $7,500.00 4 Eduardo Bacil Fred Souza 8 $5,500.00 5 Lee LeGrande Franco Neto 3 $4,000.00 5 Adam Johnson Brian Lewis 5 $4,000.00 7 Dax Holdren Todd Rogers 1 $3,000.00 7 Dain Blanton Eric Fonoimoana 2 $3,000.00 9 Brent Frohoff Larry Witt 7 $2,000.00 9 Eduardo Garrido Paulo Emilio Silva 11 $2,000.00 9 Pepe Delahoz Ricci Luyties 16 $2,000.00 9 Jake Elliott Riley Salmon 30 $2,000.00 13 Bill Boullianne Albert Hannemann 14 $1,000.00 13 Devin Poolman Alika Williams 17 $1,000.00 13 Reid Priddy Brandon Taliaferro 22 $1,000.00 13 David Fischer John Hribar 24 $1,000.00 17 Ian Clark Matt Unger 9 $750.00 17 Bryan Ivie Collin Smith 12 $750.00 17 Aaron Boss Dan Castillo 15 $750.00 17 Rifat Agi Randall Koerv 18 $750.00 17 Scott Davenport Chris Makos 20 $750.00 17 Mark Addy Craig Geibel 23 $750.00 17 Jeff Bellandi Ran Kumgisky 28 $750.00 17 Matt Fuerbringer Casey Jennings 29 $750.00 25 Paul Baxter Mark Paaluhi 13 $500.00 25 Richard Boldt Scott Friederichsen 19 $500.00 25 Peter Goers Matt Taylor 21 $500.00 25 Geoff Pollard Peter Tourigny 25 $500.00 25 Chad Convis Brad Torsone 26 $500.00 25 Mike Daniel Jake Gibb 27 $500.00 25 Elvis Rodriguez Evan Silberstein 31 $500.00 25 Jon Barnes Jon Rose 32 $500.00 33 Ryan Cronin Peter Weremay $.00 33 C.J. Denk Brian Duff $.00 33 Wayne Gant AJ Mihalic $.00 33 Justin Hersey Tim Wooliver $.00 33 Jason Lee Jason Ring $.00 33 Anthony Licata Peter Von Schoenermarck $.00 33 Andre Melo Jason Wight $.00 33 David Smith Eddie Stokes $.00 41 Robert Brennan Mike Salak $.00 41 Ihor Akinshyn Jeff Wentworth $.00 41 Mike Bruno Curt Russell $.00 41 Wesley Defrietas David DiPierro $.00 41 Graig Domanski Brian Soldano $.00 41 Fred Fauhl, Jr. Ken Kaczorowski $.00 41 Sandy Fournier Chris Jedlovcnik $.00 41 William Govea Arbel Meidav $.00 41 Scott Hill Tom Slauterbeck $.00 41 Tom Kolakowski Leon Lucas $.00 41 Chris Magill Matt Sokolowski $.00
Format: Double Elimination
Event Scores:
Round Of 32 Holdren, Rogers (15)Def., Barnes, Rose (3) Delahoz, Luyties (15)Def., Poolman, Williams(11) Hribar, Fischer (17)Def.,Clark, Unger (15) Bacil, Souza (15)Def., Pollard, Tourigny(6) Lewis, Johnson(15)Def., Kumgisky, Bellandi(1) Smith, Ivie (15) Def.,Goers, Taylor (11) Davenport, Makos(16)Def., Baxter, Paaluhi (14) Ceman, Whitmarsh(15)Def., Jennings,Fuerbringer (11) Neto, LeGrande (15)Def., Salmon, Elliot (9) A.Hannemann,Boullianne (15)Def., Friederichsen,Boldt (7) Garrido, Azevedo(15)Def., Priddy, Taliaferro(4) Doble, Metzger (15)Def.,Daniel, Gibb (2) Witt, Frohoff (15)Def.,Torsone, Convis(6) N.Hannemann, Jewell(15)Def., Geibel, Addy (9) Koerv, Agi (15) Def.,Boss, Castillo (13) Fonoimoana,Blanton (15)Def., Rodriquez,Silberstein (11) Round Of 16 Holdren, Rogers (15)Def.,Delahoz, Luyties (3) Bacil, Souza (15)Def., Hribar, Fischer (8) Lewis, Johnson(17)Def., Smith, Ivie (15) Ceman, Whitmarsh(15)Def.,Davenport, Makos(10) Neto, LeGrande (19)Def., A.Hannemann,Boullianne (17) Doble, Metzger (15)Def.,Garrido, Azevedo(6) N.Hannemann, Jewell(15)Def.,Witt, Frohoff (10) Fonoimoana,Blanton (15)Def., Koerv, Agi (3) Quarter Finals Bacil, Souza (15)Def., Holdren, Rogers (12) Ceman, Whitmarsh(15)Def.,Lewis, Johnson(4) Doble, Metzger (15)Def.,Neto, LeGrande (3) N.Hannemann, Jewell(15)Def.,Fonoimoana,Blanton (7) SemiFinals Ceman, Whitmarsh(15)Def.,Bacil, Souza (9) N.Hannemann, Jewell(15)Def.,Doble, Metzger (12)
Winners Finals Ceman, Whitmarsh(15)Def.,N.Hannemann, Jewell(9)
Tournament Finals Ceman, Whitmarsh(15)Def.,N.Hannemann, Jewell(11)
Tournament Champions Belmar Open 2000>> Mike Whitmarsh/Canyon Ceman
Mike Whitmarsh Canyon Ceman
Losers Round 1 Salmon, Elliot(15)Def., Friederichsen,Boldt (7) Priddy,Taliaferro (15)Def., Daniel,Gibb (3) Geibel, Addy (15)Def., Torsone,Convis (8) Boss, Castillo(15)Def., Rodriquez,Silberstein (10) Poolman,Williams (15)Def., Barnes,Rose (5) Clark, Unger(15)Def., Pollard, Tourigny (6) Kumgisky,Bellandi (15)Def., Goers,Taylor (10) Jennings,Fuerbringer (15)Def., Baxter, Paaluhi (5) Losers Round 2 Salmon, Elliot(15)Def.,Davenport,Makos (3) Priddy,Taliaferro (15)Def., Smith,Ivie (11) Hribar, Fischer(15)Def., Geibel,Addy (10) Delahoz,Luyties (15)Def., Boss,Castillo (10) Poolman,Williams (15)Def.,Koerv,Agi (3) Witt, Frohoff(15)Def.,Clark,Unger (13) Garrido,Azevedo (15)Def., Kumgisky,Bellandi (5) A.Hannemann,Boullianne (15)Def.,Jennings,Fuerbringer (7) Losers Round 3 Salmon, Elliot (15)Def.,Priddy,Taliaferro (12) Delahoz,Luyties (15)Def.,Hribar, Fischer(11) Witt, Frohoff(15)Def.,Poolman,Williams (13) Garrido,Azevedo (16)Def., A.Hannemann,Boullianne (14) Losers Round 4 Neto, LeGrande (15)Def., Salmon, Elliot (5) Fonoimoana,Blanton (15)Def.,Delahoz,Luyties (11) Holdren, Rogers (16)Def.,Witt, Frohoff(14) Lewis, Johnson(15)Def., Garrido,Azevedo (12) Losers Round 5 Neto, LeGrande (15)Def., Fonoimoana,Blanton (13) Lewis, Johnson(15)Def., Holdren, Rogers (12) Losers Round 6 Bacil, Souza (15)Def.,Neto, LeGrande (7) Doble, Metzger (15)Def.,Lewis, Johnson(13) Losers Semifinals Doble, Metzger (15)Def.,Bacil, Souza (12) Losers Finals N.Hannemann, Jewell(15)Def.,Doble, Metzger (12)
Final Results:2000 1st -Ceman/Whitmarsh $16,000 2nd-N. Hannemann/ Jewell $10,000 3rd -Doble/Metzger $ 7,500 4th -Bacil/Souza $ 5,500 5th -Legrand/Neto $ 4,000 5th -Lewis /Johnson $ 4,000 7th -Holdren/Rogers $ 3,000 7th -Fonoimoana/Blanton $ 3,000 9th -Salmon/Elliot $ 2,000 9th -Delahoz/Luyties $ 2,000 9th -Witt/Frohoff $ 2,000 9th -Garrido/Azevedo $ 2,000 13th-Priddy/Taliaferro $ 1,000 13th- Hribar/Fischer $ 1,000 13th- Poolman/Williams $ 1,000 13th- A.Hannemann/Boullianne $ 1,000 17th- Davenport/Makos $500 17th- Smith/Ivie $500 17th- Geibel/Addy $500 17th- Boss/Castillo $500 17th- Koerv/Agi $500 17th- Clark/Unger $500 17th- Kumgisky/Bellandi $500 17th- Jennings/Fuerbringer $500
Articles 2000:
The Boys are Back in Belmar!!! Courtesy of the AVP Jul 21,2000 Saturday at the Sunkist Belmar AVP Open was not a good day for the AVP’s elite. The only top four seeded team surviving in the winners bracket after Saturday’s play was the 4th seeded squad of Canyon Ceman and Mike Whitmarsh who advanced to the semifinals with a convincing 15-4 win over Brian Lewis and Adam Johnson. Also slipping into the wrong bracket on day 1 was top seeds Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers who fell victim to Brazilians Anjinho and Fred 15-12. The fourth installment of the LeGrande/Neto vs. Doble/Metzger saga was played out here in Belmar, with Doble/Metzger squaring the season series to two games a piece with a 15-12 win and a place in the semis on Sunday. Belmar marked the return of Eric Fonoimoana and Dain Blanton to the AVP Tour after a few weeks playing abroad on the FIVB’s Olympic chase. Dain and Eric were not treated kindly by Nick Hannemann and Adam Jewell who sent the pair to the losers bracket with a 15-7 victory.
Whitmarsh is King of Belmar!!! Courtesy of the AVP By Dan Vrebalovich Jul 22nd,2000
Sunday was again no picnic on the court for the top seeds at the Sunkist AVP Belmar Open. The top seeded team of Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers managed only one victory in the losers bracket on Sunday, narrowly beating Brent Frohoff and Larry Witt 16-14. Their run ended in the next match as Brian Lewis and Adam Johnson advanced with a 15-12 victory over last weeks champions, giving them a 7th place finish in Belmar. The #2 seeded team of Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana also found themselves making an early exit on Sunday as they also finished in 7th place after being eliminated from the tournament by LeGrande and Neto 15-13. The victory for #3 seeds LeGrande and Neto would be their last as Eduardo Bacil and Fred Souza would send them packing with a 15-7 defeat and a 5th place finish. On the winners side it was the #4 seeded team of Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman who were in control of the tournament after winning the winners finals over the surprise team of the weekend, #10 seeds Adam Jewell and Nick Hannemann. Jewell/Hannemann notched victories over Fonoi/Blanton in the quarters and Doble/Metzger in the semis, before going down to Ceman/Whit in the winners finals by a score of 15-9. During the match, Mike Whitmarsh rolled his ankle, but was able to gut it out for the victory. Whitmarsh, who has won the Belmar event the past four years was gunning for his 1st victory in 2000 and hoped to do it here in Belmar. Ceman and Whitmarsh won the event together in 1997, the two hooked up as teammates again last week, as the partner shuffle seems to have been positive for both players. In the losers bracket Brent Doble and Stein Metzger were charging towards the finals with a narrow victory over Lewis/Johnson 15-13 giving that team a 5th place finish. Brent and Stein then tangled with Souza/Bacil again coming out on top with a 15-12 win, earning a rematch with Jewell/Hannemann who had beaten the team earlier in the day in the winners semis. The match was a brawl from start to finish with big serves and bigger hits exploding all over the court. In the end, it was Hannemann and Jewell who would earn a spot in their first finals ever as AVP pros, with a 15-12 win over Doble/Metzger. There were many questions to be answered in the finals. Would Whitmarsh win his first tournament in what might be his last season as a pro? Would his ankle hold up for one more match to fend of the young challengers who had many questions to answer themselves. Getting to the finals is a big hurdle, winning a final is an even bigger one. A huge Belmar crowd stayed with us well past 5:00pm EST, enjoying a great day of perfect summer weather and awesome volleyball. The match was close throughout with score tied at 5-5. Mike and Canyon took advantage of the good side to push the score to 10-5 in their favor. Each team would score a point to make it 11-6, with Nick Hannemann playing some great volleyball despite having little gas left in his tank. Whit/Ceman would take control 13-6 before Han/Jewell would close to 13-10. A Whitmarsh block put his team at game point, but Nick and Adam would make it interesting by switching back to the good side, down 14-11. Canyon and Mike would finish the job from there with a Ceman dig and a Whitmarsh hit on two the Sunkist AVP Belmar Championship was theirs. Another new team has been added to the list of winners on the 2000 AVP Tour. Congratulations to Canyon Ceman and a special thanks to Mike Whitmarsh who has given the sport so many wonderful memories. Please show Mike all the appreciation he deserves if you come to one of the remaining events on the tour this year. Adam Jewell digs a ball Photo by Tanya Breen
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BOB AND KELLEY WITT are leading the life of the sports parent times four. The Witts' four sons all participate in volleyball at various levels. Last week, they were at the USA Boys Junior Nationals Championships in Reno, Nevada, watching son Tommy play in the 16-under division with the Santa Ynez Valley VBC of Las Olivos,Ca. This week, two of those son's schedules intersect in New Jersey,and of course, the Witts will be at both.The oldest son, Andy, will be playing with the U.S. Men's National Team tonight as it takes on Bulgaria at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, second son Larry will be playing in the Association of Volleyball Professionals $75,000 Sunkist Open in Belmar. "Larry's game is well-suited to the beach, he has such an all-around game," said Andy Witt."lt's a natural fit for him to play on the beach." Larry Witt, only 20, has quickly risen through the AVP ranks in his first year. Playing with veteran Brent Frohoff, Witt has three consecutive fifth-place finishes. They are the seventh-ranked team heading into the Belmar event that begins tomorrow with a qualifier event and continues with opening rounds on Saturday and the semifmals and final on Sunday. The final is set to start at 4p.m. "The last four, five tournaments, Larry Witt has really started putting it together." said tour veteran Mike Whitmarsh who has teamed with three different partners to win the last three Belmar events. "Fro is the perfect partner for him, he's one of the few guys who've been around longer than me. Those two playin together is the perfect situation for both. I can see Larry Witt being one of our players in the 2004 Olympics."
Play LOCAL VOLLEYBALL IN NEW JERSEY
So you want to enter a volleyball tournament??? Published in the Asbury Park Press 6/17/00 By Fred Siegle
PLAYERS CAN enter tournaments in advance or on the day of tournaments. Prior to the day of the tournament, the easiest way to enter is by telephone. For the Jersey Shore Volleyball Association, call (732) 506-9449. For East End Volleyball, call (631) 728-0397. To enter on the day of the tournament show up at the check-in tent before 8:30 a.m. At most tournaments, men's and women's divisions are held on Saturdays, coed and 4-player on Sundays. At bigger tournaments, men's pro divisions can play over both days.
THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER: What division should you play in? Jersey Shore Volleyball Association tournaments have competition for players at many levels -- novice, B, BB, A, AA and pro for men; BB, A, AA and pro for women. In general, if you've never played a tournament, you shouldn't start at a level higher than BB (unless you have indoor experience or have played at a decent level in non-tournament settings on the beach). Novice is for players whose only volleyball experience is high school gym class and at backyard barbecues. B is for players who at least know the general rules and want to try to use three hits on every play (bump, set, spike). BB players should have enough control to use three hits on nearly every play and the ability to spike the ball and play decent defense. A players should be able to spike the ball on every possession and play solid defense. AA players should have excellent ball control, defense and spiking ability. The only first-time players who should even consider playing in the pro division are those who have played collegiate volleyball or on USA volleyball BB level or higher indoor teams.Be prepared for a workout. Tournaments are run under a pool-play format-- four or five teams play against each other on each net. You'll be on the court 20 to 60 minutes at a time and should be in decent shape. Remember to bring the entry fee (usually about $40 per team, but can fluctuate depending on tournament and division), water or sports drinks,sun block and a ball, if you have one.
WHERE TO LEARN TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL: Spikesport-TLC Volleyball is offering free instruction for those 13 to 18 years old from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays at Third and Ocean avenues in Belmar. The clinics are sponsored by the Belmar Youth Summer Program with instruction by Russ Lukas. For information, telephone Lukas at (732) 295-0292.
Sports Action is offering instruction for all ages on Wednesday evenings at Duke Island Park, Bridgewater. Telephone Rich Drake, (908) 534-7737.
SPECTATORS GUIDE FOR LOCAL TOURNAMENTS: Where can you find the best players? The top pro division players can generally be found on the courts closest to the sign-in and results tent for the tournament (tournaments include many divisions, so some games that draw attention could be at a lower level). The pros are also usually placed on courts nearest the boardwalk as a courtesy to spectators.
When can you see the best games? Play at tournaments begins around 9 a.m., but initial action is pool play (teams competing against each other to make the playoffs). The playoffs could begin any time between 3 and 5 p.m. The best games, the semifinals and final, can be any time between 5 and 7 p.m.
TOURNAMENT RUNDOWN: The Jersey Shore Volleyball Association runs beach tournaments every weekend until Sept. 24, with men's, women's, coed and 4-player divisions at many levels. All remaining tournaments are in Point Pleasant Beach except July 1 and 2 (North Wildwood) and Aug. 5 and 6 (Long Branch). Specialty divisions (parent-child, age group, high school) are offered at some events. Telephone (732) 506-9449.
East End Volleyball has a beach tournament today and tomorrow in Belmar, July 21 to 23 in Belmar, Aug. 5 and 6 in Point Pleasant Beach, Aug. 12 and 13 in Wildwood and Sept. 16 and 17 in Atlantic City, with men's, women's and coed divisions at several levels. Tomorrow's Belmar event includes an 18-and-under junior tournament. A junior tournament is also offered on July 23 in conjunction with the AVP tournament. East End also runs tournaments on Long Island and at other East Coast sites. Telephone (631) 728-0397.
Parsippany Volleyball offers grass tournaments at Volunteers Park, Parsippany, on July 2, July 23, Aug. 20 and Sept. 3. Divisions for reverse coed (men can spike only from behind the 10-meter line) 2-player teams and men's and women's 3-player teams. Telephone (973) 263-5843.
The North Jersey Volleyball Association offers grass tournaments at Overpeck Park, Leonia, on July 8, July 29 and 30, Aug. 26 and 27, Sept. 16 and 17, Sept. 23 and 24 and Oct. 7. Men's, women's and reverse coed (men can spike only from behind the 10-meter line) divisions are offered at several levels. Visit the website at http://www.njva.com/.
Sports Action offers grass tournaments at Duke Island Park, Bridgewater, today and on July 16, Aug. 27 and Sept. 24. Divisions are for 3-player teams. Telephone (908) 534-7737.
AVP Belmar Open: Some area teams bow out on first day - Asbury
Volleyball: An old and new partner for champ
AVP Belmar Open notes: Kiraly not here, but his mom is
AVP Belmar Open: To its surprise, Jersey team reaches main draw
Favorites sand-blasted
AVP Belmar Open notes: A timely win for Whitmarsh
Volleyball: An old and new partner for champ - Asbury Park Press
Feeling right at home in Belmar - Asbury Park Press -Nick Hannemann
A net gain in Belmar
Volleyball tournament gets underway in Belmar
Mr. Belmar: Whitmarsh wins fourth straight at the Joisey Shore
BELMAR SUNKIST OPEN July 18-19,1998 - Belmar, New Jersey June 26-27,1999 - Belmar, New Jersey July 21st, 22nd,23rd 2000 - Belmar, New Jersey July 20th,21st,22nd,2001 - Belmar, New Jersey BELMAR 2001 EVENT COVERAGE
As always The AVP remains a great event on the beaches and in the town. The Belmar Cam AVP Web Cast supports all sponsors, fans and players. The championship tournament, held in front of the original 5th avenue cam in Belmar is exciting, fun, and always competitive. The AVP in Belmar is part of Beach Volleyball community and tradition. This tournament traditionally draws large crowds and is a covered on national television. The local community truly embraces this event, and with Belmar's help, the AVP has created a major championship event for the millennium.The Belmar Cam AVP Web Cast lets you watch the entire week before the event, as they set up the bleachers and main courts,see the games as they happen live via the Belmar Cam. Visit again to find out more about this Live Web Cast.Be a part of the best action on the beach as AVP Volleyball returns to Belmar on July 21-22, 2001.The Open begins on Saturday. General admission tickets will be sold at the event, with bleacher seating available. Also planned are "meet the pros" nights when visitors will be able to meet the world's best beach volleyball players at some of Belmar's liveliest hot spots.
Format: 2001 COMPETITION NOTES - For the 2001 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the following rules will be used:
· Each match will be the best of three rally-scoring sets. · First two sets are to 21 points. · Third eventual set is to 15 points. When the first team to reach 14 in the third eventual set, side out scoring will be used until one team has scored the 15th point or wins by two points. · Must have a two-point advantage to win the set. · No caps for all sets. · Two timeouts per set with a duration of 30 seconds each · Injury timeout - only one injury timeout per match is allowed per player. · A side change will occur every 10 points in the first two sets and every five (5) points in the third eventual set. The side changes will be direct without delay · Time between sets will be one (1) minute. · Court dimensions are 8-meter (26-feet, 3-inches) by 8-meter per side. · The AVP has approved the implementation of "Let the serve in play" for all events in 2001. - For those VB fans who hadn't heard, the sideout freeze (new AVP rule this week)occurs when one team reaches 14 in the third and final game of a match,both teams scores are then frozen from rally scoring and sideout scoring is used to finish up the game and match.
Belmar Sunkist AVP Open 2001 13th - Ian Clark/Adam Jewell $850 Match Record:2 Wins-2Defeats Saturday’s Main Draw Results Winner’s Bracket, First-round (9 a.m. start) · Ian Clark, Boulder, Colo./Adam Jewell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (6) def. Morgan Mainz, Santa Barbara, Calif./Dancer Styles, Sausalito, Calif. (27), 21-18 and 21-19 (40); Winner’s Bracket, Second Round · Davenport/Nygaard (11) def. Clark/Jewell (6), 21-16 and 24-22 (43); Loser’s Bracket, Second-round (losers eliminated, place 17th, split $500) · Clark/Jewell (6) def. Fuerbringer/M. Williams (21), 23-21 and 21-13 (38); Loser’s Bracket, Third-round (losers eliminated, place 13th, split $850) · Elliott/Soldano (14) def. Clark/Jewell (6), 21-19, 19-21 and 15-12 (56);
Men's Main Draw Entries (28 teams, four to qualify, seedings to be announced following Friday's qualifier) Seeding:
Seed Name Points Ranking Qualifying Status
· Canyon Ceman, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mike Whitmarsh, San Diego, Calif. · Brent Doble, St. Paul, Minn./Lee LeGrande, Honolulu, Hi. · Albert Hannemann, Torrance, Calif./Sean Scott, Kailua, Hi. · Scott Akayatubby, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Eduardo Bacil, El Segundo, Calif. · Aaron Boss, Oak Park, Calif./Collin Smith, Hermosa Beach, Calif. · Nick Hannemann, Hermosa Beach, Calif./David Swatik, Manhattan Beach, Calif. · Ian Clark, Boulder, Colo./Adam Jewell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. · Daniel Cardenas, Los Angeles, Calif./Jim Nichols, Encinitas, Calif. · Paul Baxter, Columbia Heights, Minn./Jason Ring, Bend, Ore. · John Anselmo, Manhattan Beach, Calif./David Smith, Venice, Caif. · Scott Davenport, Redondo Beach, Calif./Jeff Nygaard, Madison, Wis. · David Fischer, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Brad Torsone, Hermosa Beach, Calif. · Jacob Elliott, Georgetown, S. C./Brian Soldano, Freehold, N. J. · Jerry Graham, Playa del Rey, Calif./Chad Mowrey, Redondo, Calif. · Casey Jennings, Huntington Beach, Calif./Scott Lane, Las Vegas, Nev. · Adam Roberts, Myrtle Beach, S. C./Colin Wellman, Los Angeles, Calif. · Chris Makos, Costa Mesa, Calif./Chad Turner, Clearwater Beach, Fla. · Matt Fuerbringer, Costa Mesa, Calif./Mark Williams, Santa Monica, Calif. · Jeff Carlucci, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Sean Rosenthal, Redondo Beach, Calif. · Jeff Bellandi, Hermosa Beach, Calf./Bill Boullianne, not available · Pepe Delahoz, San Diego, Calif./Juan Ibarra Rodriguez, Mexico · John Hribar, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Alika Williams, Santa Barbara, Calif. · Anthony Medel, Santa Barbara, Calif./John Moran, Phoenix, Ariz. · Tom Black, Reseda, Calif./Andrew Vazquez, Manhattan Beach, Calif. · Elvis Rodriguez, New York, N. Y./Jim Walls, Cape May, N. J. · Morgan Mainz, Santa Barbara, Calif./Dancer Styles, Sausalito, Calif. · Tom Lauterbeck, Santa Monica, Calif./Mark Sokolowski, Redondo Beach, Calif. · Brian MacDonald, Newport Beach, Calif./Leland Quinn, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Men's Qualification Tournament Entries(37 teams,seedings to be finalized Thur.PM)
· Mike Daniel, Pleasant Grove, Utah/Jacob Gibb, Salt Lake City, Utah · Brett Becker, not available/Anthony Mihalic, Belmar, N. J. · Brian Duff, Rochester, N. Y./Jeff Smith, San Diego, Calif. · Dale Davis, Austin, Tex./Tim Wooliver, Austin, Tex. · Chris Kosty, Fountain Valley, Calif./Ed Ratledge, Fountain Valley, Calif. · Mike Dipierro, Pompano Beach, Fla./Jim VanZwieten, Pompano Beach, Fla. · Tom Barber, Hermosa Beach, Caiif./Gary Barnes, Hermosa Beach, Calif. · Mark Fay, Grandville, Mich./John Vestal, Clinton Township, Mich. · Romano Dasilvo, not available/Jason Greenlaw, Torrance, Calif. · Chad Winterhalter, Grandville, Mich./Zach Winterhalter, Grandville, Mich. · Corey Glave, Hermosa Beach/Scott Kaedish, El Segundo, Calif. · Andre Melo. Manassas, Va./Jason Wight, Fairfax, Va. · Pete DiVenere, Palwey's Island, S. C./James Fellows, Naples, Fla. · Jon Barner, Mount Laurel, N. J./Jon Rose, Hoboken, N. J. · Adam Brosius, Sterling, Va./Ed Bross, Holland, Pa. · Tim Chittenden, not available/Fred Fauhl, Seaside Heights, N. J. · Keith Craig, not available/Todd Hart, Hopewell, Pa. · Ihor Akinshyn, Hackensack, N. J./Wayne Gant, Wall, N. J. · Jamie Drum, Long Branch, N. J./Brian Gulick, not available · Colin Kaslow, Austin, Tex./Jason Miller, Denton, Tex. · Kristopher Fraser, Lakewood, N. J./Nick Kitchen, not available · Peter Frey, Syracuse, N. Y./Timothy Ko, North Syracuse, N. J. · Joe Barrier, Toms River, N. J./Wes Moore, not available · Keith Miklas, West Long Branch, N. J./Shawn Nason, Rumson, N. J. · Arbel Meidav, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Gary Neiditch, not available · Williams Narath, Parsippany, N. J./Adam Niemczynowicz, not available · Bryan Hoopes, Wilmington, Del./Chris Patrick, Baltimore, Md. · Daniel Mullen, Princeton, N. J./Brian Reiner, Mount Laurel, N. J. · Mike Potts, not available/Will Rohde, not available · Miguel Salazar, Rye, N. Y./Sander Saijanlan, not available · Justin Hersey, Irving, Tex./Kyle Schultz, not available · Williams Govea, North Bergen, N. J./Justin Stack, not available · Will Johnson, Irving, Tex./Kelly Sterne, not available · Mike Vajo, Hamilton, N. J./Don West, Perkasie, Pa. · Matt Heagey, Rockville, Md./Zak Hollman, Rockville, Md. · Alex Kutsy, Philadephia, Pa./Leon Lucas, Philadelphia, Pa. · Andrew Balodis, New York, N. Y./to be determined
Top Belmar Pro Beach Volleyball Money Leaders
Player Played 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Money 1. Karch Kiraly 8 4 2 1 0 $54,075 2. Mike Whitmarsh 8 4 2 0 0 $53,163 3. Kent Steffes 7 5 0 1 0 $51,448 4. Brian Lewis 10 1 3 2 0 $41,694 5. Adam Johnson 10 1 3 1 0 $37,590 6. Canyon Ceman 7 2 1 0 0 $34,488 7. Bill Boullianne 9 1 0 0 1 $24,712 8. Randy Stoklos 4 1 0 1 1 $20,613 9. Troy Tanner 6 0 0 2 1 $19,155 10. Eric Fonoimoana 9 0 0 0 2 $18,326
15. David Swatik 7 1 0 1 0 $16,223 22. Ian Clark 6 0 0 0 0 $11,358 23. Eduardo Bacil 7 0 0 0 1 $10,923 26. Scott Ayakatubby 4 0 1 0 0 $10,503 36. Lee LeGrande 7 0 0 0 0 $7,791 37. Nick Hannemann 6 0 1 0 0 $7,726 40. Aaron Boss 6 0 0 0 0 $7,293 42. Brent Doble 5 0 0 1 0 $6,041 44. Adam Jewell 2 0 1 0 0 $5,813
2001 Pro Beach Volleyball Earnings through July 15, 2001
Here's a listing of domestic and international pro beach volleyball money leaders for men and women. The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) next event is July 20-22 at The Sunkist Open at Belmar (N. J.). The Belmar stop is a men's event.
Men's Domestic Money Leaders
Rank, Player, hometown (titles) Earnings 1. Dax Holdren, San Diego, Calif. (2) $17,625 Todd Rogers, Santa Barbara, Calif. (2) $17,625 3. Dain Blanton, Laguna Beach, Calif. (1) $13,125 Eric Fonoimoana, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (1) $13,125 5. Canyon Ceman, Manhattan Beach, Calif. $10,350 Mike Whitmarsh, San Diego, Calif. $10,350 7. Brent Doble, St. Paul, Minn. (1) $10,250 8. Lee LeGrande, Honolulu, Hi. (1) $9,350 9. Scott Ayakatubby, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (1) $9,125 10. Stein Metzger, Honolulu, Hi. $8,850 Kevin Wong, Pearl City, Hi. $8,850 12. Albert Hannemann, Torrance, Calif. $8,275 13. Sean Scott, Kailua, Hi. $8,275 14. Eduardo Bacil, El Segundo, Calif. (1) $7,525 15. Colin Smith, Hermosa Beach, Calif. $6,737 16. Aaron Boss, San Diego, Calif. $5,950 17. Nick Hannemann, Hermosa Beach, Calif. $4,600 Adam Jewell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. $4,600 19. Rob Heidger, Redondo Beach, Calif. $4,150 Chip McCaw, Tulsa, Okla. $4,150 21. Matt Lyles, Los Gatos, Calif. $4,050 Brian Soldano, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. $4,050 23. Adam Roberts, Myrtle Beach, S. C. $3,750 24. Carl Henkel, Redondo Beach, Calif. $3,663 Sinjin Smith, Pacific Palisades, Calif. $3,663 26. Chad Turner, Clearwater Beach, Fla. $3,525 27. Jeff Nygaard, Madison, Wis. $3,300 28. Daniel Cardenas, Los Angeles $3,075 29. Gaston Macau, Miami, Fla. $3,000 30. Jim Nichols, Encinitas, Calif. $2,925
2001 AVP POINTS Here's a listing of men and women point leaders for the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) next event is July 20-22 at The Sunkist Open at Belmar (N. J.). The Belmar stop is a men's event. The points are based upon an of a player's best eight finishes for the 2000 season plus accumulated 2001 points.
Men AVP Points
Rank, Player, hometown, Points
1, Dax Holdren, Santa Barbara, Calif., 670.00 1, Todd Rogers, Santa Barbara, Calif., 670.00 3, Stein Metzger, Honolulu, Hi., 544.50 4. Canyon Ceman, Manhattan Beach, Calif., 543.00 5, Mike Whitmarsh, San Diego, Calif., 527.25 6, Dain Blanton, Laguna Beach, Calif., 501.75 6, Eric Fonoimoana, Hermosa Beach, Calif., 501.75 8, Lee LeGrande, Honolulu, Hi., 465.25 9, Brent Doble, St. Paul, Minn., 428.00 10, Albert Hannemann, Torrance, Calif., 378.00 11, Sean Scott, Kailua, Hi., 375.75 12, Kevin Wong, Pearl City, Hi., 373.50 13, Carl Henkel, Redondo Beach, Calif., 369.00 13, Sinjin Smith, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 369.00 15, Nick Hannemann, Hermosa Beach, Calif., 351.00 15, Adam Jewell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 351.00 17, Eduardo Bacil, El Segundo, Calif., 341.00 18, Larry Witt, Santa Ynez, Calif., 337.50 19, Colin Smith, Hermosa Beach, Calif., 335.75 20, Scott, Ayakatubby, Hermosa Beach, Calif., 324.00
SUNKIST OPEN AT BELMAR CHAMPIONS
Season Belmar Championship Team 1991 Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes 1992 Kiraly/Steffes 1993 Kiraly/Steffes 1994 Adam Johnson/Randy Stoklos 1995 Brian Lewis/Bill Boullianne 1996 Kiraly/Steffes 1997 Canyon Ceman/Whitmarsh 1998 Steffes/Whitmarsh 1999 David Swatik/Whitmarsh 2000 Ceman/Whitmarsh 2001 Brent Doble/Lee LeGrande
65 & COUNTING - Depending on any late entries for the Qualification Tournament, The Sunkist Open at Belmar could attract the season's most men's entries. The AVP opener in Hermosa had 65 entries, followed by 62 in Huntington Beach and 53 in Muskegon.
AVP ON THE WEB - Information on the AVP Tour and the sport of volleyball can be found at the following web sites:
· AVP Tour (www.avptour.com) - The site is maintained by Nick Cargill (contact@Sniperdev.com). · Beach Volleyball Data Base (www.bvbinfo.com) - The site is maintained by Dennis Wagner (doctorono@home.com) of Virginia Beach, Va. Dr. Ono has tracked 1,091 events and 2,358 players. · USA Volleyball (www.usavolleyball.org) - The site is maintained by Brent Buzbee (brent.buzbee@usav.org) at the USA Volleyball Offices in Colorado Springs, Colo. · FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (www.fivb.org) - The site is maintained by the FIVB's beach department (beach@mail.fivb.ch) at the FIVB headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Sunday’s Main Draw Results
Loser’s Bracket, Fourth-round (losers eliminated, place ninth, split $1,500) · Aaron Boss, Oak Park, Calif./Collin Smith, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (5) def. Pepe Delahoz, San Diego, Calif./Juan Ibarra Rodriguez, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (16), 21-17 and 21-13 (38 minutes); · Daniel Cardenas, Los Angeles, Calif./Jim Nichols, Encinitas, Calif. (9) def. Jacob Elliott, Georgetown, S. C./Brian Soldano, Freehold, N. J. (14), 18-21, 21-17 and 16-14 (52); · Nick Hannemann, Hermosa Beach, Calif./David Swatik, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (7) def. David Fischer, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Brad Torsone, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (12), 21-14 and 21-17 (47) · Paul Baxter, Columbia Heights, Minn./Jason Ring, Bend, Ore. (8) def. Scott Davenport, Redondo Beach, Calif./Jeff Nygaard, Madison, Wis. (11), 21-15, 17-21 and 15-13 (58)
Winner’s Bracket, Fourth-round (winners to semi-finals) · Albert Hannemann, Torrance, Calif./Sean Scott, Kailua, Hi. (4) def. Canyon Ceman, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mike Whitmarsh, San Diego, Calif. (1), 21-19, 19-21 and 15-12 (63); · Brent Doble, St. Paul, Minn./Lee LeGrande, Honolulu, Hi. (2) def. Scott Ayakatubby, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Eduardo Bacil, El Segundo, Calif. (3), 21-19 and 21-15 (46).
Loser’s Bracket, Fifth-round (losers eliminated, place seventh, split $2,500) · Cardenas/Nichols (9) def. Boss/C. Smith (5), 21-18 and 23-21 (56); · N. Hannemann/Swatik (7) def. Baxter/Ring (8), 17-21, 21-15 and 15-8 (54).
Loser’s Bracket, Sixth-round (losers eliminated, place fifth, split $3,500) · Ayakatubby/Bacil (3) def. Cardenas/Nichols (9), 22-20 and 21-17 (47); · Ceman/Whitmarsh (1) def. N. Hannemann/Swatik (7), 21-17 and 21-18 (46).
Semi-finals · A. Hannemann/Scott (4) def. Ayakatubby/Bacil (3), 24-22 and 21-15 (42) · Doble/LeGrande (2) def. Ceman/Whitmarsh (1), 21-18, 19-21 and15-10 (75)
Bronze Medal Match (winners place third, split $6,600; losers place fourth, split $4,850) · Ceman/Whitmarsh (1) def. Ayakatubby/Bacil (3), 21-18 and 21-18 (35).
Gold Medal Match (winners place first, split $14,000; losers place second, split $9,250) · Doble/LeGrande (2) def. A. Hannemann/Scott (4), 21-16, 20-22 and 15-9 (64).
Tournament Champions 2001>>Brent Doble/Lee LeGrande
Brent Doble Lee LeGrande
Association of Volleyball Professionals $62,500 THE SUNKIST OPEN AT BELMAR– MEN’S RANKINGS July 20-22, 2001 at Belmar Beach, Belmar, N. J., Revised July 22, 2001, 2:47 PM
Rank, Team (Main Draw Seed, Qualification Tournament Seed) Record Points Earnings
1st Brent Doble, St. Paul, Minn./Lee LeGrande, Honolulu, Hi. (2) 6-0 360 $14,000 2nd Albert Hannemann, Torrance, Calif./Sean Scott, Kailua, Hi. (4) 5-1 324 $9,250 3rd Canyon Ceman, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mike Whitmarsh, San Diego, Calif. (1) 5-2 288 $6,600 4th Scott Ayakatubby, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Eduardo Bacil, El Segundo, Calif. (3) 4-3 244 $4,850 5th Daniel Cardenas, Los Angeles, Calif./Jim Nichols, Encinitas, Calif. (9) 4-2 216 $3,500 5th Nick Hannemann, Hermosa Beach, Calif./David Swatik, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (7) 4-2 216 $3,500 7th Aaron Boss, Oak Park, Calif./Collin Smith, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (5) 3-2 180 $2,500 7th Paul Baxter, Columbia Heights, Minn./Jason Ring, Bend, Ore. (8 4-2 180 $2,500 9th Pepe Delahoz, San Diego, Calif./Juan Ibarra Rodriguez, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (16) 3-2 144 $1,500 9th Jacob Elliott, Georgetown, S. C./Brian Soldano, Freehold, N. J. (14) 3-2 144 $1,500 9th David Fischer, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Brad Torsone, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (12) 3-2 144 $1,500 9th Scott Davenport, Redondo Beach, Calif./Jeff Nygaard, Madison, Wis. (11) 2-2 144 $1,500 13th Anthony Medel, Santa Barbara, Calif./John Moran, Phoenix, Ariz. (25) 2-2 108 $850 13th Ian Clark, Boulder, Colo./Adam Jewell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (6) 2-2 108 $850 13th Jeff Carlucci, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Sean Rosenthal, Redondo Beach, Calif. (19) 2-2 108 $850 13th Casey Jennings, Huntington Beach, Calif./Scott Lane, Las Vegas, Nev. (17) 2-2 108 $850 17th Chris Makos, Costa Mesa, Calif./Chad Turner, Clearwater Beach, Fla. (18 1-2 72 $500 17th John Anselmo, Manhattan Beach, Calif./David Smith, Venice, Calif. (10 1-2 72 $500 17th Matt Fuerbringer, Costa Mesa, Calif./Mark Williams, Santa Monica, Calif. (21) 1-2 72 $500 17th Dale Davis, Dallas, Tex./Tim Wooliver, Dallas, Tex. (29, 4) 1-2 72 $500 17th Adam Roberts, Myrtle Beach, S. C./Colin Wellman, Los Angeles, Calif. (20) 1-2 72 $500 17th Jeff Bellandi, Hermosa Beach, Calf./Bill Boullianne, Redondo Beach, Calif. (22) 1-2 72 $500 17th Brian MacDonald, Newport Beach, Calif./Leland Quinn, Redondo Beach, Calif. (26) 1-2 72 $500 17th . Jerry Graham, Playa del Rey, Calif./Chad Mowrey, Redondo, Calif. (15) 1-2 72 $500 25th Ihor Akinshyn, Hackensack, N. J./Wayne Gant, Wall, N. (32, 17) 0-2 36 $300 25th Tom Black, Reseda, Calif./Andrew Vazquez, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (24) 0-2 36 $300 25th Tom Slauterbeck, Santa Monica, Calif./Matt Sokolowski, Redondo Beach, Calif. (28) 0-2 36 $300 25th John Hribar, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Alika Williams, Santa Barbara, Calif. (13) 0-2 36 $300 25th Mike DiPierro, Pompano Beach, Fla./Jim VanZwieten, Pompano Beach, Fla. (30 6) 0-2 36 $300 25th Morgan Mainz, Santa Barbara, Calif./Dancer Styles, Sausalito, Calif. (27) 0-2 36 $300 25th Elvis Rodriguez, New York, N. Y./Jim Walls, Cape May, N. J. (23) 0-2 36 $300 25th Tom Barber, Hermosa Beach, Caiif./Gary Barnes, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (31, 7) 0-2 36 $300
Men's AVP $62,500 The Sunkist Open at Belmar July 20-22, 2001 Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings Points 1 Brent Doble Lee LeGrande 2 $14,000.00 360.0 2 Albert Hannemann Sean Scott 4 $9,250.00 324.0 3 Canyon Ceman Mike Whitmarsh 1 $6,600.00 288.0 4 Scott Ayakatubby Eduardo Bacil 3 $4,850.00 252.0 5 Nick Hannemann David Swatik 7 $3,500.00 216.0 5 Daniel Cardenas Jim Nichols 9 $3,500.00 216.0 7 Aaron Boss Collin Smith 5 $2,500.00 180.0 7 Paul Baxter Jason Ring 8 $2,500.00 180.0 9 Scott Davenport Jeff Nygaard 11 $1,500.00 144.0 9 David Fischer Brad Torsone 12 $1,500.00 144.0 9 Jake Elliott Brian Soldano 14 $1,500.00 144.0 9 Pepe Delahoz Juan Rodriguez Ibarra 16 $1,500.00 144.0 13 Ian Clark Adam Jewell 6 $850.00 108.0 13 Casey Jennings Scott Lane 17 $850.00 108.0 13 Jeff Carlucci Sean Rosenthal 19 $850.00 108.0 13 Anthony Medel John Moran 25 $850.00 108.0 17 John Anselmo David Smith 10 $500.00 72.0 17 Jerry Graham Chad Mowrey 15 $500.00 72.0 17 Chris Makos Chad Turner 18 $500.00 72.0 17 Adam Roberts Colin Wellman 20 $500.00 72.0 17 Matt Fuerbringer Mark Williams 21 $500.00 72.0 17 Jeff Bellandi Bill Boullianne 22 $500.00 72.0 17 Brian MacDonald Leland Quinn 26 $500.00 72.0 17 Skyler Davis Tim Wooliver 29 $500.00 72.0 25 John Hribar Alika Williams 13 $300.00 36.0 25 Elvis Rodriguez Jim Walls 23 $300.00 36.0 25 Tom Black Andrew Vazquez 24 $300.00 36.0 25 Morgan Mainz Dancer Styles 27 $300.00 36.0 25 Tom Slauterbeck Matt Sokolowski 28 $300.00 36.0 25 Mike DiPierro Jim Van Zwieten 30 $300.00 36.0 25 Tom Barber Gary Barnes 31 $300.00 36.0 25 Ihor Akinshyn Wayne Gant 32 $300.00 36.0 33 Romano DaSilva Jason Greenlaw Q9 $.00 28.0 33 Pete DiVenere James Fellows Q14 $.00 28.0 33 Tim Chittenden Fred Fauhl, Jr. Q18 $.00 28.0 33 Kevin Craig Todd Hart Q28 $.00 28.0 37 Mike Daniel Jake Gibb Q1 $.00 22.0 37 Brett Becker AJ Mihalic Q2 $.00 22.0 37 Brian Duff Jeff Smith Q3 $.00 22.0 37 Mark Fay John Vestal Q8 $.00 22.0 37 Andre Melo Jason Wight Q12 $.00 22.0 37 Jon Barnes Jon Rose Q13 $.00 22.0 37 Joe Barrier Wes Moore Q22 $.00 22.0 37 Arbel Meidav Gary Neiditch Q23 $.00 22.0 45 Chris Kosty Ed Ratledge Q5 $.00 20.0 45 Chad Winterhalter Zach Winterhalter Q10 $.00 20.0 45 Corey Glave Scott Kiedaisch Q11 $.00 20.0 45 Jamie Drum Brian Gulick Q15 $.00 20.0 45 Kristopher Fraser Nick Kitchen Q16 $.00 20.0 45 Mike Vajo Don West Q19 $.00 20.0 45 Alex Kutsy Leon Lucas Q20 $.00 20.0 45 Adam Brosius Ed Bross III Q21 $.00 20.0 45 Daniel Mullen Brian Reiner Q24 $.00 20.0 45 Williams Narath Adam Niemczynowicz Q25 $.00 20.0 45 Keith Miklas Shawn Nason Q26 $.00 20.0 45 Bryan Hoopes Chris Patrick Q27 $.00 20.0 45 Colin Kaslow Jason Miller Q29 $.00 20.0 45 Miguel Salazar Sander Saljanin Q32 $.00 20.0 45 William Govea Justin Stack Q34 $.00 20.0 45 Will Johnson Kelly Sterne Q35 $.00 20.0 61 Peter Frey Timothy Ko Q30 $.00 16.0 61 Mike Potts Will Rohde Q31 $.00 16.0 61 Justin Hersey Kyle Schultz Q33 $.00 16.0 61 Matt Heagy Zach Hollman Q36 $.00 16.0 61 Andrew Balodis Greg Rubin Q37 $.00 16.0 61 Derik Beck Walter Lloyd Q38 $.00 16.0
Articles:2001
Volleyball: No limit on Wentworth's success By FRED SIEGLE STAFF WRITER Asbury Park Press June 2, 2001 Jeff Wentworth is doing pretty well with his new "hobby."Wentworth, Sea Bright, has been one of the top beach volleyball players on the East Coast for many years, and at one time took the sport very seriously. But he isn't able to devote as much time to training now and plans to play in a limited number of tournaments this summer.But that didn't stop Wentworth and long-time partner Ihor Akinshin, Ridgewood, from adding another top finish to their resumes on May 19 and 20 as they finished second in East End Volleyball's $3,000 Hilton Casino Big Shots Tournament in Atlantic City.Wentworth and Akinshin lost in the final to Jake Elliott, South Carolina, and Ahren Cadieux, Canada, in the final. "We're going to play off and on this summer," said Wentworth. "I'm getting married in July and won't be playing much that month. We're going to play as many of the big tournaments as we can, and maybe a few others. We might try to play some in the Toyota Series in Ocean City (Md.) and we're planning to try the AVP qualifier in Virginia Beach -- I won't be here for Belmar -- and also the Big Shots final in Atlantic City in September." The second-place finish in Atlantic City came against some of the top competition from all over the East Coast. Wentworth and Akinshin reached the winners bracket final on May 19, beating Brian Soldano, Freehold Township, and Jim Walls, Cape May, who went on to place third. But they didn't fare as well on the second day of competition in losing twice to Elliott and Cadieux. "We played well on Saturday, we played a lot of guys who've been training all winter long," Wentworth said. "The wind picked up on Sunday, and the matches got tougher. Their (Elliott and Cadieux) ball control in the wind was superior to ours." Wentworth and Akinshin played indoors together at Rutgers-Newark, and at one time worked as hard at the outdoor game as many of the younger players from the Shore, like Soldano and A.J. Mihalic, Wall, do now. "This is more like a hobby for me now," said Wentworth, who graduated from Rutgers-Newark in 1993. "I don't need to play every weekend any more, and Ihor (a 1994 Rutgers-Newark graduate) and I don't intend to play every week. But we still like the competition." JSVBA results Mike Emory, Cape May, and Ed Bross, Holland, Pa., won the men's pro division at the Jersey Shore Volleyball Association's Miller Lite Pro/Am in Seaside Heights on May 26. They beat Don Sachau, Somerset, and Wayne Gant, Wall, in the final. The teams of Brian Gulick, Toms River, and Fred Fauhl, Seaside Heights,and Michael Mielcarz, Langhorne, Pa., and Paul Kadlubowski, Trenton,were third. Lisa Ekmekjian, Montvale, and Ann Kraft, Yardley, Pa., won the women's pro division.
Volleyball: Gant is achieving success with mixed results By FRED SIEGLE STAFF WRITER Asbury Park Press June 23, 2001 Wayne Gant has had to mix things up this year -- involving both partners and the side of the court he plays -- but so far the results have been great.Gant, Wall, has played in seven tournaments this season and reached the final every time. He's 5-2 in championship matches, making it three in a row on June 16 at East End Volleyball's Peak Bar Big Shot Tournament in Belmar.He had won two in a row playing Jersey Shore Volleyball Association events with Graig Domanski, Freehold Township, then won at East End with Don Sachau, Somerset. He has another first-place finish this year with Sachau, and was also first with Mike Emory, Cape May. He finished second once with Sachau and once with A.J. Mihalic, Wall.Gant's regular partners have been doing a lot of traveling this year, so he's had to adjust from week to week. He's played right side pretty much exclusively, and that's the spot he plays with Domanski and Mihalic. But Sachau is also a right-side player, so when they play together Gant shifts. "It's getting harder to get left-side partners," Gant said. "And I just figured it's easier for me to move than Don." Gant and Sachau beat Kamil Zitka and John Ferrari, both from NewYork, 15-8 in the final at East End's event. They defeated Ed Bross and Russ Mellott, both from Pennsylvania, 15-7, in the semifinals. "The competition was real strong," Gant said. "I thought it would be more spread out with the JSVBA in Point Pleasant, but it seemed like most of the good players were at EastEnd." Zitka and Ferrari beat Michael Mielcarz, Langhorne, Pa., and Paul Kadlubowski, Trenton, in the semifinals. Mielcarz and Kadlubowski had won the JSVBA's first tournament this year, beating Gant and Mihalic 17-15.Gant is making another shift -- to a grass tournament and another partner -- this weekend. He's playing at the Pottstown Rumble in Pottstown, Pa.,with Gary Neiditch, Fair Lawn. His plans include attempts to qualify into the main draw when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour comes to Belmar July 20 to 22 and the following week in Virginia Beach, Va., and competition in several bigger regional events.He and Sachau -- who hasn't been big on travel -- are planning to play together in East End's $2,850 Bud Light Big Shot Tournament at East Quogue, Long Island, next weekend, and Gant plans to participate in some of the Toyota Series tournaments in Ocean City, Md., and Virginia Beach this summer."I'm dragging Don out to Long Island," Gant joked. "He's great to play with, one of the most consistent players around. And I think he's playing even better this year than last." "When Graig and A.J. both get home, I have to decide who I'm playing with," Gant said. "I also hope to play with Ihor (Akinshin, another top player) sometime. And Don and I are doing well together, so we're going to keep playing together, too." Freebie June 16, 2001 Spikesport Volleyball is again offering free instruction and play for high school-age players at the Third Avenue Beach in Belmar starting on Monday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The program is sponsored by the BelmarYouth Summer Program.For information, telephone Russ Lukas, (732) 295-0202 or visit the website, www.SpikeSport-Volleyball.net.
Miller Lite ProAm Open - Point Pleasant Beach,NJ - July 21-22,2001
THE 'KING' LEADS 65-TEAMS INTO THE SUNKIST OPEN AT BELMAR; OLYMPIC MEDALLIST WHITMARSH SEEKS FIFTH-STRAIGHT NEW JERSEY TITLE;37-TEAM QUALIFIER STARTS AVP PRO BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOUR ACTION FRIDAY BELMAR, N. J. - Led by Mike Whitmarsh, the "King of the Beach" and a four-time winner on this New Jersey beach, The Sunkist Open at Belmar has attracted a 65-team field for Round 4 on the eight-stop AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour this weekend (July 20-22) at Belmar Beach.Featuring the United States' top men pro beach volleyball players vying $62,500 in prize money, The Sunkist Open at Belmar will open Friday at 9 a.m. (EDT) on six sand courts at Belmar Beach (Fourth Avenue and Ocean). Friday's 37-team Qualification Tournament will determine the final four berths in the 32-team Main Draws.The first 48 Main Draw matches will be played Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Sunday's competition starts at 8 a.m. with the final 14 matches being played.The final matches will begin approximately at 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for the event are $5 per day for general admission and $25 per day for reserved seating. Brighton Entertainment of New York, N. Y., will be taping The Sunkist Open at Belmar action for replay July 30 on FOX Sports Net.Whitmarsh, who captured the Silver Medal with Mike Dodd at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, is the Association of Volleyball Professionals' (AVP) reigning "King of the Beach" after winning the crown last October in Las Vegas. Whitmarsh has been part of the winning team on Belmar Beach for the past four seasons, including crowns in 1997 and 2000 with Canyon Ceman.With six podium finishes in eight previous AVP Belmar starts, Whitmarsh needs one more win to tie Kent Steffes as the winningest player at Belmar Beach. Steffes won five AVP Belmar titles. A seventh-place or better finish by Whitmarsh this weekend will also give him the record for earnings on Belmar Beach. Karch Kiraly earned $54,075 enroute to four titles on Belmar Beach. Whitmarsh has earned $53,163 in his eight Belmar starts.Ceman and Whitmarsh, who have placed ninth, second and second in the first three AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour events this season, defeated Nick Hannemann and Adam Jewell 15-11 for the 2000 Belmar title. Brent Doble teamed with Stein Metzger to place third last season.Doble and Lee LeGrande teamed last weekend (July 13-15) in Michigan to win The Sunkist Open at Muskegon by winning five-straight matches to capture the $14,000 first-place prize. Playing together for the first time this season,the fourth-seeded Doble and LeGrande scored a 21-16 and 23-21 upset win over second-seeded Ceman and Whitmarsh in the 49-minute finale.Other top men's team entered in The Sunkist Open at Belmar include; Scott Ayakatubby/Eduardo Bacil, Albert Hannemann/Sean Scott and Daniel Cardenas/Jim Nichols. Hanneman and Scott defeated Cardenas and Nichols for third-place last Sunday in Muskegon.Ayakatubby, who is returning to the AVP Tour after being sidelined much of the past four seasons with injuries, and Bacil won the Huntington Beach title after upsetting Ceman and Whitmarsh in the finals. Nick Hannemann and Jewell placed third in Huntington.
Digging out of a hole Published in the Asbury Park Press 7/19/01 By FRED SIEGLE STAFF WRITER The newest plan for the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour emphasizes unity and harmony in the beach volleyball world.The tour, which makes its 11th annual stop in Belmar this weekend for the $62,500 Sunkist Open, has had its battles -- both inside its organization and with outside organizations -- in the past. But Leonard Armato, who took over as owner and CEO this year, says the best way to increase the tour's following and financial status is for everyone to get along.For the casual fan, things won't seem much different at this year's Belmar event, which starts with a qualifier tournament tomorrow and continues with main draw matches on Saturday and Sunday. There will still be top players battling it out in a 32-team, double-elimination tournament with plenty of skill, athleticism and drama on display. But the attempt at unity has brought many changes to the tour, especially involving the rules, that hardcore fans will find noticeable.The AVP has switched to the Federation International de Volleyball's (FIVB) format -- rally scoring (one team or the other earns a point on each serve, as opposed to side-out scoring, in which you have to serve in order to score), a 20 percent smaller court, looser restrictions on hand sets (fewer whistles for a carry), allowing the let serve (if the serve hits the net and goes over, it's in play) and even a new ball -- to move in line with the international tour.That's a big step, since when the FIVB tour began in the mid-1990s, the AVP philosophy had been that the AVP version of the game was the right, and only, way to play.And the AVP may very well have been correct, but while it fought that and other battles with the FIVB, it was sinking financially here in the United States, while the FIVB's world tour is now well established. "We wanted to eliminate confusion," said Armato, who helped originate the AVP tour in 1983 and served as executive director for six years. "The tour has been plagued by conflicts and infighting. We have to be collective in our vision, everyone has to be unified so we can put out a single positive vision. We're allies with them (the FIVB) now, and that's an important first step."Most of the players have fallen in line with the new regime. "This is a four-year commitment by the new management company that took over majority interest in the tour," saidKarch Kiraly, a long-time tour leader who is probably the most recognizable player in the world. "And the players are making a four-year commitment to the company. Everybody is hoping good things happen over the next four years,starting with this season." The alternative can't seem too appealing, since there probably would be no tour if Digital Media Campus, the company that bought controling interest, hadn't taken over the AVP.(Armato, who also has his own management company and is Shaquille O'Neal's agent, is CEO.) Because of the sale, the tour got off to a late start with no events until late May. In its heyday in the early '90s, the AVP tour featured as many as 20 events per year."We're in economic circumstances that are a lot different then 10 years ago," said Kiraly. "The players and the new management company are hoping to build things up next year, have more stops and more prize money. Everything came together so late this year, the option was to have no tour and no prize money, so the men are pleased we were able to get eight stops together." "We got into it late, and really took over as the season started," Armato said. "So we had to go with a modified schedule. We wanted to stop the bleeding, stabilize everything, and put together a road map for the future. We're looking at 2002 as a growth year, and 2003 as an explosion year. This year it was hard to change much financially, but we're trying to put the tour in position to grow."Not all the players went along with the changes. Kiraly said long-time star Brian Lewis isn't playing any more because he didn't agree with the new rules."Brian felt it was too tough a pill to swallow," Kiraly said. "He feels beholden to the classic AVP style. That's my first love too, but I'm trying to work in the spirit of cooperation to help the sport as well." "With time, we'll get more economic clout," Armato said."My message is we need to unify, harmonize, get our collective energy working in the right direction. This is the only way we can do that. Not everyone in a group setting is going to agree with what's happening. But we have to put ourselves in a position to succeed. Everyone has to understand that, and I think 95 percent do."Another change in the tour that won't be seen at Belmar, at least this year, is the addition of women's competition. The women will be playing at five of the eight AVP events this year. Armato actually started negotiations to buy the AVP after first getting involved with the Beach Volleyball America women's tour. "The owner of the women's tour asked for my help, and that led to taking over the women's tour," Armato said. "At same time, I heard the AVP was almost imploding. I felt if I could secure both and develop one tour, the economies of scale would make it worthwhile. We want to put together a foundation for expansion so we can reclaim beach volleyball's territory as a hot and fast-growing sport." SUNKIST BELMAR OPEN What : Top volleyball players, including Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman, Brent Doble and Lee LeGrande, Scott Ayakatubby and Eduardo Bacil, competing in a three-day tournament. When : Qualifier (teams seeded 29 and above playing for four main-draw berths) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow; main draw 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; championship match about 1 p.m. Sunday. Where : Fourth Avenue beach. Tickets : $5 per day general admission, $25 per day reserved seating. Available at the gate. Top seeds : 1. Ceman-Whitmarsh; 2. Doble-LeGrande; 3. Albert Hannemann-Sean Scott; 4. Ayakatubby-Bacil. Local players in main draw: 13. Brian Soldano, Freehold Township-Jake Elliott, Florida; 25. Elvis Rodriguez, New York-Jim Walls, Cape May. Local players in qualifier: 30. A.J. Mihalic, Wall-Becker; 41. Jon Barnes, Mount Laurel-Jon Rose, Toms River; 43. Fred Fauhl, Seaside Heights-Tim Chittenden, Belmar; 45. Ihor Akinshyn, Fair Lawn-Wayne Gant, Wall; 46. Jamie Drum, Long Branch-Brian Gulick, Toms River; 48. Kris Fraser-Nick Kitchen, both Lakewood; 50. Joe Barrier, Brick-Wes Moore, Rumson. TV : July 30, Fox Sports Net (check listings).
King of the beach Asbury Park Press 7/20/01 By FRED SIEGLE STAFF WRITER It's no surprise that Mike Whitmarsh is looking forward to the Association of Volleyball Professionals $62,500 Sunkist Belmar Open this weekend.After all, four straight wins at a site can give someone's confidence a real boost. And that's something that can't hurt Whitmarsh, 39, right now. He and partner Canyon Ceman finished second to Brent Doble and Lee LeGrande last weekend at the AVP's tour stop in Muskegon, Mich. "I know Doble and LeGrande are a good team, and they just played a little better than us last week," said Whitmarsh, who teamed with Ceman to win at Belmar in 1997 and last year and also won with Kent Steffes in 1998 and David Swatik in 1999. "I told Canyon, 'Thank God Belmar is next week, so we can get the monkey off our backs.' For some reason I just have better success at some sites than at others." It's not that Ceman and Whitmarsh have been playing poorly -- in three tournaments they have two seconds and a ninth-place finish. But Whitmarsh is the AVP's reigning King of the Beach, a title he won in Las Vegas at the end of last season, and he is used to earning titles, with 24 career wins.The King of the Beach crown is one of the most prestigious a player can earn, because it's bestowed after a tournament that's entered as an individual. Players compete in a round-robin format with and against each other, and a point system determines the winner."The King of the Beach title really capped things off for me," Whitmarsh said. "I'd always made it to final four there, but I was always third or fourth. Winning that gave me all the major titles I wanted to win, and that's also a big one to all the players, one they shoot for because it's a big payday."The individual title came at the end of a season in which Whitmarsh contemplated retirement."I really was thinking about it," he said. "I was very frustrated, playing with David (Swatik), and his knee was hurt and we just weren't playing well."Whitmarsh and Swatik finished fifth, seventh and 17th in the first three tournaments in 2000. And Whitmarsh began planning to call it quits. What caused Whitmarsh to change his mind? It was actually in taking one of the steps he felt he needed to take before leaving."Matt Unger is a good friend of mine and I'd promised him I'd play a tournament with him before my career was over," Whitmarsh said. "We ended up playing three tournaments together, and he actually made it fun to play again." Whitmarsh and Unger finished fourth, fifth and seventh together. Then, the tournament before Belmar, he teamed with Ceman again and they finished fourth in Muskegon. The victory in Belmar was followed by a third-place finish in Virginia Beach, Va., a fourth at Seal Beach, Calif., and a second in the Manhattan Beach Open in California. "Playing with Canyon, I felt like I had a chance to win every week, and winning brings happiness, I guess," Whitmarsh said."I feel like I have at least one more year. When I stop enjoying it, that's when I'll stop playing."
For Soldano, it's a new year Asbury Park Press 7/21/01 By FRED SIEGLE STAFF WRITER BELMAR -- Brian Soldano was a happy spectator yesterday at the qualifier event for today's Association of Volleyball Professionals $62,500 Sunkist Belmar Open. And why wouldn't he be? It's a big change from his position at this time last year, when he and partner Graig Domanski lost in the first round of the qualifier.Now, Soldano, Freehold Township, has an automatic berth in the main draw. He and partner Jake Elliott,Georgetown, S.C., are the No. 14 seed.Soldano and Domanski did qualify at the next AVP event last year, in Virginia Beach, Va., and finished 17th.Last fall Soldano began to concentrate on his career, traveling to South Carolina and then Florida for the winter to train. He played in a Federation Internationale de Volleyball World Tour event in Vitoria, Brazil, in November, and traveled to California for the start of the 2001 tour. "From last year, it's a big difference," said Soldano, who finished ninth with Elliott in Muskegon, Mich., last week after reaching his second main draw (in three attempts) this year."Heading into this tournament last year, I really didn't train at all," he said. "I worked (a regular job) last year. I went out to California for the start of this season and paid my dues." Soldano and Elliott will play the No. 19 seed, Jeff Carlucci, Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Sean Rosenthal, Redondo Beach, Calif., in the first round, about 10 a.m. today. If they they would likely play No. 3 seed Scott Ayakatubby, Hermosa Beach, Eduardo Bacil, El Segundo, Calif.Last week, Soldano and Elliott beat the No. 3 seed, Nick Hannemann, Hermosa Beach, and Adam Jewell, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., on their way to the ninth-place finish."Michigan basically sets us up for the rest of the year," Soldano said. "We shouldn't have to qualify again."Soldano is looking forward to some sort of home-court advantage in Belmar."I'm ready," he said. "Hopefully we'll get to play in front of a big crowd of local fans." 'Ack' is back in semis with Bacil Asbury Park Press 7/22/01 By DEBBIE WALDEYER STAFF WRITER BELMAR -- The last time Scott Ayakatubby played regularly on the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour was 1997. He was partnered with Brian Lewis when they had four consecutive second-place finishes and were a top-10 team. But even the success didn't help ease the pain in his right knee that season. Three separate surgeries on that knee, and a hand surgery, forced him to sit out the past three years. But the man called "Ack" is back.Yesterday, he and partner Eduardo Bacil, seeded third, were one of four teams -- the top four seeds -- to go undefeated and gain bids into today's winners' bracket semifinals of the Sunkist Belmar Open on Fourth Avenue beach.Action continues this morning, 7:30. with the consolation bracket. Winners' bracket play begins at 8:30 a.m., with the final scheduled to be played at approximately 1 p.m. "When the knee starting hurting, it was all downhill after that," Ayakatubby said. Ayakatubby, now 36, has heard the whispers of retirement. But he strongly vetoed that idea. "The whole time I was sitting out, people kept asking me if I was going to retire," said Ayakatubby, who will turn 37 in September. "I kept saying 'No way.' I've got too much fire to stop playing. I love it too much." Ayakatubby and Bacil came from behind in yesterday's third round on main court. They lost their first game to Scott Davenport and Jeff Nygaard 16-21, then battled back with a 22-20 win in the second game and a 15-12 win in the deciding game. They'll face the second-seeded team of Brent Doble and Lee LeGrande, who defeated Nick Hannemann and David Swatik 21-11, 21-19 in the third round yesterday. Doble and LeGrande won their first tournament of the season on the tour's previous stop, last weekend in Muskegon, Mich.Also advancing in the championship bracket was the top-seeded team, and defending champs, Canyon Ceman and Mike Whitmarsh. The two have won a pair titles together in Belmar but Whitmarsh is also riding a four-year consecutive win streak here, dating back to 1996. Like every one of the top four seeds yesterday, Ceman and Whitmarsh had at least one match go three games. That one came in the second round against Casey Jennings and Scott Lane, 20-22, 21-16, 15-10. They beat Daniel Cardenas and Jim Nichols in the third round, 23-21, 21-17. "Nothing's been easy all year," said Whitmarsh, who is still looking for his first win this season. He and Ceman took second last weekend in Muskegon. "We played OK (yesterday) and when we did give up a point or two, we were able to get back on track. But we need to play a lot better." Ceman and Whitmarsh are looking to end the drought today, but standing in their way is the fourth seed, Albert Hannemann and Sean Scott. Hannemann and Scott finished third in Muskegon after facing Ceman and Whitmarsh twice and splitting. Hannemann and Scott won the first meeting in Muskegon, the winners' bracket quarterfinal round, 16-21,21-17, 15-13. Ceman and Whitmarsh recovered after that, playing out of the losers' bracket and winning three matches to face Hannemann and Scott in the semifinal round last Sunday. Ceman and Whitmarsh won that match, 22-20, 19-21, 15-10 and advanced to the championship. "We have a pretty good little rivalry going," Hannemann said. Hannemann and Scott's berth into today's championship bracket wasn't an easy bid. They went three games in their first round against Dale Davis and Tim Wooliver (20-22, 21-18, 15-8) and three games the second round against Adam Roberts and Colin Wellman (21-13, 17-21, 15-7). But Hannemann and Scott, who played for three years together in college at Hawaii, defeated the fifth seed team of Aaron Boss and Collin Smith 21-17, 21-19 in the third round to advance.
Doble & LeGrande net Sunkist Open at Belmar, winners capture second-straight crown on Jersey shore Tim Simmons Jul 22,2001 On a picture perfect afternoon on Belmar Beach, second-seeded Brent Doble and Lee LeGrande increased their Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) winning streak to 12 matches after defeating fourth-seeded Albert Hannemann and Sean Scott in the finals here Sunday (July 22) of The Sunkist Open at Belmar.Brighton Entertainment of New York, N. Y., taped The Sunkist Open at Belmar action for replay July 30 on FOX Sports Net. The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour now heads south to Virginia for the $62,500 Paul Mitchell Open at Virginia Beach starting next Friday (July 27). Doble and LeGrande will be seeking to become the first AVP team since August 1998 to win three straight titles when Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson won events in Milwaukee, Atlanta and Hermosa Beach, Calif. Sunday’s title was the second-straight for Doble and LeGrande, who captured last Sunday’s The Sunkist Open at Muskegon (Mich.) by winning all six of their matches. Doble and LeGrande duplicated that feat this weekend by winning all six of their Sunkist matches, including a 21-16, 20-22 and 15-9 win over Albert Hannemann and Scott in 64 minutes. Featuring the United States’ top men pro beach volleyball players vying for $62,500 in prize money, The Sunkist Open at Belmar concluded with Doble and LeGrande sharing the $14,000 first-place prize. Albert Hannemann and Scott, who was playing in his first AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour final, split $9,250 for second-place.Playing in only their second event together this season, the Doble/LeGrande title was the third of their partnership in 16 career pro beach starts together. LeGrande’s title was his fourth championship since winning his first with Doble in April 2000 in Delray Beach, Fla. Doble and LeGrande advanced to the finals with a 21-18, 19-21 and 15-10 semi-final win over top-seeded Canyon Ceman and Mike Whitmarsh in 75 minutes. Ceman and Whitmarsh were the defending The Sunkist Open at Belmar champions after defeating Nick Hannemann and Adam Jewell in the 2000 finale. Whitmarsh had also won the last four Belmar titles, including the 1997 championship with Ceman.Albert Hannemann and Scott advanced to the finals with a 24-22 and 21-15 win over third-seeded Scott Ayakatubby and Eduardo Bacil in 42 minutes. Albert Hannemann and Scott opened their play Sunday by defeating Ceman and Whitmarsh 21-19, 19-21 and 15-12 in 63 minutes.Whitmarsh, the reigning AVP “King of the Beach”, and Ceman captured the third-place match and the $6,600 prize with a 21-18 and 21-18 win over Ayakatubby and Bacil in 35 minutes. Ayakatubby and Bacil, who captured last month’s AVP event in Huntington Beach, Calif., split $4,850 for fourth-place.With his third-place finish, Whitmarsh became the seventh pro beach volleyball player to surpass the $1.5-million mark in earnings. With 27 titles and an Olympic Silver Medal finish in 1996 at Atlanta with Mike Dodd, Whitmarsh has now totalled $1,501,716 in his career. He has earned $56,463 in nine Belmar starts (seven podium finishes) to rank first on the Belmar earnings list.
LeGrande, Doble go 6-0 to win title Asbury Park Press 7/23/01 By DEBBIE WALDEYER STAFF WRITER BELMAR -- This season, Brent Doble and Lee LeGrande have only been playing partners the last two weekends. The results have been the same: better than anyone else. Yesterday, Doble and LeGrande won their second consecutive Association of Volleyball Professionals event and became the newest kings of Belmar's 4th Avenue beach at the Sunkist Open. Doble and LeGrande, the second seed, defeated fourth seed Albert Hannemann and Sean Scott in the best two-out-of-three match, 21-16, 20-22, 15-9 in front of a capacity crowd at center court in yesterday afternoon's final. The pair finished this weekend with a perfect 6-0 record, matching their accomplishment from the previous weekend at Muskegon, Mich., and giving them a 12 match win streak in tour events. Doble and LeGrande will try to be the first AVP team since Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson in August 1998 to win three consecutive titles when they play in Virginia Beach, Va., starting on Saturday. "We've been playing pretty solid," said LeGrande. "It's the honeymoon right now. I may set him (Doble) terrible and he kills it and it's fine." Doble and LeGrande also had experience on their side. Having beaten top seed and defending champs Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman in the semifinal, 21-18, 19-21, 15-10, Doble and LeGrande had the edge in championship appearances over Hannemann and Scott. Doble has been in three finals, and won them all. LeGrande has been in four finals and has won three. Hannemann and Scott, who beat third seed Scott Ayakatubby and Eduardo Bacil to reach the final (24-22, 21-15), had a combined total of one championship appearance:Hannemann in 1998.Despite this advantage, Hannemann and Scott, who was the AVP's 1999 rookie of the year, didn't yield easily to Doble and LeGrande. Doble and LeGrande held the lead throughout the first game on the strength of LeGrande's power shots that tagged the back line and his finesse shots which found holes on the sides -- and Doble's serve. But Hannemann and Scott battled to win the second game thanks to Scott's timely blocks and sets for Hannemann's swing. "In the second game I felt really good," said Doble. "If Sean (Scott) didn't block me two or three times straight down I thought we'd win it there." Hannemann and Scott led to begin the final game, with LeGrande receiving a red card for bumping an official while leaving the court between the second and third games. The red card carries an automatic point to the opposition, giving Hannemann and Scott a 1-0 advantage in the 15-point game before the first ball was served.Later, in addressing the crowd, LeGrande thanked the AVP management and the refs "for dealing with me," he said. "I just want to win." Doble and LeGrande took their first lead of the last game at 4-3 when Doble blocked Hannemann's shot at the net. Doble recorded the next two points, giving his team a 6-3 advantage and the pair never yielded the lead again. "They just played a little better," Hannemann said of Doble and LeGrande. "We worked hard and left it all out on the court." Hannemann and Scott, who have played together the entire season after having spent three years playing on the same team at the University of Hawaii, had their best finish as teammates. For Doble and LeGrande, yesterday marked their third title as teammates in 16 career pro beach starts together.
Fred Siegle: Doble faced with a dilemma Asbury Park Press 7/23/01 BELMAR Karch Kiraly is almost always right when it comes to choosing beach volleyball partners. And Brent Doble is proving Kiraly right again -- without Kiraly.Kiraly is the sport's all-time leader with 142 wins, and aside from being a great player himself, he's always had a knack for teaming up with the right player at the right time. His longtime partnership with Kent Steffes (110 wins) is an example. So, when Kiraly made plans to compete with Doble this season, nobody should have doubted Doble, 30, and in his eighth season on the tour with one win in his career entering the season, was ready to break out. And Doble's done just that, although Kiraly is out with an injury. Doble and Lee LeGrande won the Association of Volleyball Professionals' $62,500 Sunkist Belmar Open yesterday, their second straight AVP win.Doble has become a leader in the AVP, and Kiraly and LeGrande probably both want him as a partner because they saw the same ability and strengths that have brought him there."It's just a love of the game, I love this sport," Doble said. "I'm willing to do the extra things you have to do, go out and practice hard, really work on my game, do the little things needed to win tournaments." Doble earned his first-ever win with LeGrande in the tour's 2000 season-opener in Delray Beach, Fla., but they parted ways later last season. He and Kiraly made plans to play together early this year, and they practiced together from February to May. Then, the day before the season-opening Hermosa Beach Open in California was to start, Kiraly suffered an achilles injury, ruining Doble's first chance at playing a tournament with the legend. Doble got Matt Lyles as a last-second replacement, and finished fourth. Then, they were 25th at Huntington Beach on June 17. And then LeGrande, who was struggling himself after a seventh-place finish with Scott Ayakatubby and a ninth with Mark Williams, called about last week's event in Muskegon, Mich. "It was really me begging," LeGrande said. "I knew I was playing well. I just needed a partner who believed in me and that I believed in." Doble is probably one tournament away from having to make what could be a career-turning decision. Kiraly said earlier this week there was a chance he'd return in time to play this weekend in Virginia Beach, Va., but Doble said yesterday he'd bet the veteran waits until the next event, Aug.17-19 in Santa Barbara, Calif., which happens to be Karch's home town. So, what does he do? Stick with LeGrande in what has proven to be a winning combination? Or switch to the legend, the guy who's acknowledged to be the greatest volleyball player ever, the guy not many players have said no to? "We'll just see what happens, I can't make a prediction," Doble said. "It's tough to look ahead."Kiraly thought his chances of getting Doble back would be slim after the win last week. Now, Doble and LeGrande are working off two straight victories. "If he's doing well, it's probably wiser for him to play with a known quantity," Kiraly said last Monday. "It's up to him, though. Every situation is different, and Brent shouldn't feel beholden to me." "That's like Michael Jordan, just having my name in the same sentence with Karch Kiraly is awesome to me," LeGrande said. "But there's no way you're going to dump someone after winning two straight tournaments. Lewey (Brian Lewis) did it one year, and the karma gods got him." Lewis is no longer playing on the tour, quitting because he disagrees with its new rules that make it more difficult for players his size (he's 6-1) to compete.But what happens if Kiraly does wait until Santa Barbara, and Doble and LeGrande don't win -- maybe even don't do too well? "I'm not feeling any pressure, pressure is just in the mind," LeGrande said. "I have confidence in myself, that's all I can control."
2001 Television Schedule * Hermosa Beach Bash: espn2 on July 3 from 10:30-11:30 pm * Huntington Beach: Fox Sports Net on July 16 from 3-3:30 pm * Muskegon, MI: Fox Sports Net on July 23 from 3-4 pm in each regional market * Belmar, NJ: Fox Sports Net on July 30 from 3-3:30 pm in each regional market * Virginia Beach, VA: Fox Sports Net on August 6 from 3-3:30 pm in each regional market * Santa Barbara, CA: Fox Sports Net on August 27 from 3-4 pm in each regional market * Manhattan Beach, CA: Fox Sports Net on September 3 from 3-4 pm in each regional market * King/Queen of the Beach: Fox Sports Net on September 19 from 3-4 pm in each regional market
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2000 & 2001
PART I (1st 10 AVP 2007 events)
