Something Old Is Under the Sun
Beach volleyball: Kiraly, 41, and Doble win Santa Barbara
Open. McPeak and Youngs win women's tournament.
By MIKE BRESNAHAN, TIMES STAFF WRITER
He grew up in Santa Barbara, learning the game from his
father at age 6, a quarter mile from where he stood as a champion
on Sunday after his 143rd title. The landscape has changed plenty since
Karch Kiraly's days as an East Beach youth, but one constant has remained:
At 41 years old, Kiraly still knows how to win. Kiraly and Brent Doble
defeated Eric Fonoimoana and Dax Holdren, 21-12, 21-18, to win the
Santa Barbara Open, the third of seven tournaments on the Assn. of Volleyball
Professionals tour. Kiraly, beach volleyball's career leader in tournament
titles, had not won a championship since July 30, 2000 at Virginia Beach."I'm
glad to push the envelope a little and not be counted out," Kiraly said.
"I still have a little volleyball left in me."Kiraly played only two tournaments
last year because of an Achilles' tendon injury and his season was cut
short two years ago because of a dislocated shoulder. Sunday, he had 21
kills and 13 digs in the championship match, ending it with a kill to the
right corner."It looked like he was reinvigorated," Fonoimoana said. "I've
seen him dig like that before, when he was much younger. I was blasting
the ball and he kept digging it up." It was a tough ending for Holdren,
who has Santa Barbara ties of his own. He attended nearby San Marcos High
and still lives in the area but lost in the finals for a third consecutive
year.
"I'm tired of losing here," Holdren said. "Everything
worked out for them today. They made good plays and got all the bounces."
Kiraly and Doble beat Frederico Souza and Eduardo Bacil
in the semifinals, 14-21, 21-18, 15-9, starting the third game with
a 7-0 run.Doble and Kiraly were supposed to play together last season,
but Kiraly injured his Achilles' a few days before the first AVP
tournament. Kiraly played the final two tournaments last season with
Scott Ayakatubby, but reunited with Doble this season.Doble and Kiraly
had been in the hunt the first two AVP tournaments, finishing third at
Huntington Beach and fifth at Hermosa."We felt like we were knocking
on the door," Kiraly said.
Not even a pinched nerve could stop Holly McPeak and
Elaine Youngs from becoming a pain in the neck in the women's tournament.Youngs
had been bothered by a sore neck the entire weekend, but she and McPeak
defeated Dianne DeNecochea and Barbra Fontana, 21-15, 21-13, to win
the title.McPeak (12 digs) was solid in the back row and Youngs (18
kills, four blocks) provided punch at the net.McPeak and Youngs have lost
only three games in 15 AVP matches this season but will be challenged
on the international level. They leave today for Gstaad, Switzerland, and
could face several top teams in a Federation Internationale de Volleyball
tournament that starts Thursday.The match was delayed nearly 10 minutes
when Fontana hit her head on the left post at the net, which resulted
in a bruise on the back of her head. DeNecochea and Fontana have lost to
McPeak and Youngs in the final round three straight times this year."I
don't know if it's timidness or that we're just not in a rhythm," Fontana
said. "We've got to bring our 'A' game to that final."