Set, record

Mike Sciacca

The Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Nissan Series returned to

California for the Huntington Beach Open last weekend, and the

tournament turned out not to only be a record-setting event, but it

allowed Surf City to step into the forefront in professional beach

volleyball.

With a packed, appreciative house at center court and more fans

packing the pier directly above the venue on Sunday, the world’s No.

1-ranked team of Misty May and Kerri Walsh cruised to the women’s

title and the team of Jason Ring and George Roumain was a surprise

winner in the men’s final of the fourth event of the 2004 AVP Nissan

Series.

May and Walsh, who first paired up three years ago on the sands

here in Surf City, toppled veteran pro and former Olympian Barbara

Fontana and her partner, Jennifer Kessy, who was making her first

appearance in a tournament final, 21-16, 21-15. The victory was a

record-setter for the duo.

Ring and Roumain, meanwhile, earned their first tournament title

by upsetting the No. 1 men’s team seed of Sean Rosenthal and Larry

Witt, 21-12, 21-16.

The pair had advanced to the finals after defeating three-time

Olympian Karch Kiraly and his partner, Olympian Mike Lambert, 21-17,

17-21, 21-19.

This is the first season together for Ring and Roumain, who have

been a consistent top-10 finisher in three previous 2004 AVP Nissan

Series tournaments.

Fans witnessed three days of nonstop volleyball action, beginning

with a qualifier last Friday, and saw some of the pros at the top of

their game.

Right at the top was May, 26, who prepped at Newport Harbor High,

and Walsh, 25, a one-time Surf City resident who now resides in

Redondo Beach.

Sunday’s victory added to the duo’s two big streaks: they now have

won 86 consecutive matches and a record 15-straight tournament

victories -- the most in beach volleyball history.

But May and Walsh will be the first ones to tell you they don’t

think about any streaks.

All that matters to them, they say, is playing their game and

going out on the court to win.

“To be honest with you, we truly do not ever think of the

streaks,” May said. “We never bring it up, but we’re reminded about

it constantly. We just want to win, that’s all.”

Walsh agreed.

“The streak’s a great, great thing, but it’s not our focus at

all,” she said. “We’re just very persistent and we hate to lose.

Because of the streak we’re riding, every weekend we play we’re put

in tense situations. We expect teams to really be fired up to play

us. But, we just stay focused on our game.

“We had a great time out here today. We just love coming to

Huntington Beach. We’ve both played here before and we love the

atmosphere here. The crowds were just great.”

The weekend tournament was the first AVP to be held in California

this year.

“It feels so good for the AVP Nissan Series to be back in Southern

California,” said Leonard Armato, commissioner of the AVP Pro Beach

Volleyball Tour. “There’s no better way to kick it off than in

Huntington Beach, which we feel best exemplifies the Southern

California lifestyle. This is so great that we plan next year to make

Huntington Beach a premiere stop on the tour.”

Armato said he plans to position the Huntington Beach Open as a

flagship event in 2005, making it one of the top stops for the AVP

Nissan Series, and said the event also would “likely” be put on

network television.

He also told a packed audience that next year, the AVP will double

the event’s prize money.

The winning men’s and women’s teams each earned a cool $14,500 for

their finals victories.

The total purse for the Huntington Beach Open was $125,000.

Two of the three top teams on the women’s side were absent from

the competition. Four-time MVP Holly McPeak and Olympian Elaine

Youngs and Olympians Annett Davis and Jenny Jordan Johnson are

currently competing internationally to qualify for the second spot at

the Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

The men’s side was missing some of the top Olympic contenders,

including Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger, Tempe Open winners Todd

Rogers and Sean Scott and 2000 Olympians Eric Fonoimoana and Kevin

Wong.

But their absence wasn’t an issue. Friday’s qualifier included 80

seeded men’s teams, and action took place on 15 courts set up south

of the pier.

“This was the biggest qualifier we’ve had here,” Armato said. “The

men’s side of the field was so hotly contested, and we had a lot of

great teams competing.

“We’re continuing to grow every place we go to hold these

tournaments. You just never know, though, what to expect when you

hold something on Memorial Day weekend. But, as usual, Huntington

Beach was more than welcoming. We were delighted with the turnout and

the fans here were just terrific.”

It was a fantastic weekend for the players, fans and AVP Nissan

Series.

“An event like this here in Huntington is huge,” Walsh said. “It’s

amazing where the AVP is sitting right now. I really think it’s ready

to blow up, and I’m glad to be part of the wonderful direction it’s

heading.”

The AVP Nissan Series’ next tour stop will be the Manhattan Beach

Open, taking place Friday through Saturday at the south of the

Manhattan Beach Pier and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net.

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.