VOLLEYBALL : Team Club Not Picky About First Victory

It took the American Beach Volleyball League all of two days to learn what other sports leagues already know--drafting is not an exact science.

Team Club, led by two undrafted players, dominated a hand-picked Team Laguna squad, 15-7, Sunday before 2,000 people at Pacific Beach’s Crystal Pier to win the inaugural event of the four-man pro beach volleyball league.

Mark Miller, the ex-San Diego State star who was contacted by Team Club captain Jeff Stork Thursday, more than held his own at the net against two-time Olympian Craig Buck. Although he had never played beach volleyball until this weekend, Miller, 6-9, had six kills and five blocks to Buck’s five kills and two blocks.

Jeff Williams, who wasn’t contacted until by Stork until Friday, had six kills.

Stork arrived from the Italian Indoor League finals late Wednesday night to discover that two of his top three picks, Jon Root and Wes Welch, could not play. Root had other obligations and Welch was having surgery.

Stork called Miller, whom he drafted as an alternate. Miller, who played at SDSU from 1981-83 and was a member of the U.S. national team from 1985-1988, had been running his own pension-planning business.

But Miller didn’t play like he had been sitting behind a desk 40 hours a week. He not only neutralized Buck, but he also toned down the high-flying antics of Troy Tanner, whose net play keyed Team Laguna’s 15-12 victory over Team Club Saturday in round-robin play.

“Our passing was much better than (Team Laguna’s),” Miller said. “(Buck) didn’t have the opportunities that I had.”

Miller said he could learn to like this new game.

“This is suited for me,” he said. “I don’t have to pass. I can just hang around the middle and block.”

Williams, who played some two-man last year and was a member of the 1989 U.S. national team, was not among the 25 players drafted.

“I had heard Jeff was a good beach player, so I gave him a call,” Stork said. “He played really well for us.”

Andy Klussman, the only drafted player on Team Club, also played well. He had six kills, four blocks and eight digs.

Like Miller, Stork had never played beach volleyball before this weekend.

“I came in not knowing much about beach players,” he said. “An event like this, I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Stork’s team was 3-1 during round-robin play and defeated Team I Dig, 15-4, in the semifinals. Team Laguna received a bye into the finals after going 4-0 in round-robin play.

But Tanner said his team that was crushed in the finals didn’t resemble the group that went 4-0.

“We just didn’t do anything very well,” he said. “They definitely knew what we were going to do.”