One swell May in August

Bryce Alderton

They began training on this sand two years ago, on a court not far

from the one they took Saturday afternoon.

Misty May, a graduate of Newport Harbor High and 2000 Olympian,

and partner Kerri Walsh, a four-time first-team All-American while at

Stanford, have come quite a long way since they first began hitting

balls to one another. The Huntington Beach Open of the Association of

Volleyball Professionals Pro Beach Volleyball Tour was their latest

triumph in a streak reaching dominating proportions.

May and Walsh, ranked No. 1 in the world, came back after losing

the first set, 24-22, to Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, the

second-seeded duo, to capture the final two games (21-17, 15-7) and

improve their streak of undefeated matches on the AVP Tour this

season to 31, claiming their fifth title on the tour in 2003.

“[Winning] never gets old,” said a delighted May with a smile that

gleaned across her face as she took a much deserved rest after a

grueling 80-minute match under an intense sun on the south side of

the Huntington Beach Pier.

“You have to come out firing or else you go home,” said May, who

led all players with 25 kills. “We played as a team throughout the

whole match.”

“They are a very good volleyball team,” said McPeak, who teamed

with May to claim fifth place in the 2000 Olympics. “They made some

nice saves, big digs and converted them. That is what it comes down

to.”

May and Walsh didn’t let many balls touch the sand as the third

set wore on. Leading 12-7 after McPeak and Youngs called a timeout,

May dove head first and hit to Walsh, who then set up the Long Beach

State alum for a commanding kill that sent the crowd roaring and

further lifted their spirits.

A May stuff block on McPeak and a resounding final kill gave the

top-seeded duo a 70-4 match record this season in competition on the

AVP, Federation Internationale de Volleyball and Beach Volleyball

America tours.

Saturday’s win, which gave May and Walsh a check of $17,400 to

split, marked the sixth consecutive time dating to last September

that the two have defeated McPeak and Youngs. May and Walsh are 9-2

against them overall. The win also denied McPeak her 67th career win,

which would tie Karolyn Kirby for the all-time lead.

“We want to beat [May and Walsh] so bad ... every time we feel we

have a shot,” Youngs said.

McPeak and Youngs got off to a solid start, erasing leads of 14-9

and 20-17 to defeat May and Walsh in the first set. McPeak’s lob over

the net and a stuff block by Youngs, who led all with five blocks,

narrowed May and Walsh’s lead to 20-19 and the set was tied when

too-many-hits was called on the next point.

Youngs put down a kill and another stuff block to secure the first

game.

May thought Walsh and her played well enough to win the first

game, but an overriding factor took over.

“My synapses weren’t clicking in that first set,” May said.

“[Youngs] is a tough blocker to go against. I lacked that

aggressiveness in the first set.”

Neither team took more than a two-point lead after McPeak and

Youngs led, 5-3, in the second set. A May kill put her and Walsh

ahead, 16-14.

Emotion finally found its way out when Walsh threw a handful of

sand after Youngs blocked a shot to give her and McPeak a 9-8 lead.

“Misty got [upset] and I reacted improperly,” Walsh said. “But

emotion definitely helps. I felt we needed more energy and more

fire.”

“I was more mad at myself,” May said.

Whatever intensity booster was released, May, who stands

5-foot-10, and the 6-3 Walsh grabbed hold and didn’t let go. McPeak

and Youngs never regained a lead after 9-8 in the second set.

“Kerry makes some incredible saves,” McPeak said. “She runs around

and makes something out of nothing. I’m used to my teams doing that.”

Walsh had four blocks and 16 digs to go with nine kills while May

added two blocks and 16 digs, all after two prior matches Saturday to

earn a spot in the final.

May and Walsh defeated the fourth-seeded team of Annett Davis and

Jenny Johnson-Jordan, 17-21, 22-20, 15-9, to reach the semifinals,

where they tallied a 21-18, 21-18 win over the eighth-seeded duo of

Jennifer Meredith and Wendy Stammer.

“Defense wins matches,” Walsh said.

McPeak agreed.

“They played better defense and [their defense] is so consistent,”

McPeak said.

Another trait could fall under the consistent category for Walsh

and May: winning.