Fuerbringer takes title, ends Marchewka’s run

San Diego has been kind to Matt Fuerbringer with regard to beach volleyball.

Fuerbringer, the Estancia High product, along with Casey Jennings won his second straight Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Crocs Slam San Diego title Sunday. They last won the crown in 2005, the last time the AVP Tour came through San Diego.

The sixth-seeded duo defeated the top-seeded team of Nick Lucena and Ean Scott, 19-21, 21-17, 15-11, and helped provide some excitement even though the Tour’s top teams have left to play in the Olympics in Beijing, China.

“If I find out, I will call you, let you know, bottle it up and sell it,” Fuerbringer said on the secret to winning in San Diego. “It’s just great.”

To get to the final, Fuerbringer and Jennings beat 15th-seeded Russ Marchewka, a Costa Mesa resident, and Mike Placek. The San Diego champions had to rally in the first game to prevent an upset. They answered an 8-1 deficit to win the first game, 24-22 and won the second game, 21-15.

As champions, Fuerbringer and Jennings split $25,000. Marchewka shared $9,500 with Placek.

On the women’s side, April Ross, a former Newport Harbor standout, and Jennifer Boss, the top-seeded duo, lost in the semifinals to the fifth-seeded tandem of Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder, 21-18, 15-21, 15-12. Ross and Boss split $9,500.

Turner and Wacholder went on to win the San Diego title, taking out Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson, 21-16, 19-21, 15-10. It was the first tournament title for Turner.

Whitney Pavlik, a UC Irvine product, with partner Stacy Rouwenhorst finished ninth. It is the eighth time the duo has placed ninth.

Kelly Wing, also a UCI alumna, finished 17th with Suzana Manole.

The AVP Crocs Slam San Diego was the final tournament before a three-week break for the Olympic Games.

Misty May-Treanor, the former Newport Harbor star, and Kerri Walsh will begin the defense of their 2004 Olympic title with a match against Mika Teru Saiki and Chiaki Kusuhara of Japan on Aug. 10 at 9 a.m. in Beijing.

The men’s team of Jake Gibb, a Costa Mesa resident, and Sean Rosenthal will begin Aug. 10 against Emiel Boersma and Bram Ronnes of Netherlands.

— From staff reports