Laguna’s AVP star

Mike Sciacca

Rachel Wacholder has been referred to as a rising star on the Assn.

of Volleyball Professionals tour.

Partnered with Elaine Youngs this year, the two have been a top

tandem during the 2005 AVP Nissan Series, winning one event,

finishing runner-up on four occasions and placing third three times

in eight previous series tournaments.

Today, Wacholder (a 1993 graduate of Laguna Beach High School),

Youngs (former Laguna Beach High star in the class of 1990), 2000

Olympic gold medalist Dain Blanton, and the rest of the cast of the

AVP, will hold court at the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier

as the Huntington Beach Open continues.

The tournament opened Thursday with qualifying-round action.

Wacholder, 30, said she and Youngs, who teamed with Holly McPeak

to win an Olympic bronze medal at the 2004 Games in Athens, will play

their first match late this morning.

“We’ve had a great year so far, and we hope to add to it this

weekend in Huntington,” Wacholder said. “We feel very confident, but

being home is the best thing right now.”

That’s because she and Youngs just returned from Austria, where

they finished second in tournament play last weekend.

Two weeks ago, she and Youngs were in Paris, where they finished

third in an international event.

The weekend marks the fourth straight year that the AVP Nissan

Series has held a tournament in Huntington Beach, and the tournament

is the third of five events in the AVP Championship Series.

Fans who come out for the tournament will have the opportunity to

catch world-class beach volleyball in one of the top settings on the

professional tour.

“We’re thrilled to be back,” said Leonard Armato, AVP

commissioner. “Huntington Beach is an ideal city to hold a beach

volleyball tournament of this magnitude.

“This city really is representative of the quintessential beach

town. The fans who come out to watch these outstanding professional

players are extremely supportive and knowledgeable of the sport of

volleyball. It’s just a great experience for players and fans alike.”

As part of the AVP Nissan Championship Series, the Huntington

Beach Open offers competitors double points and prize money.

The open tournaments at Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Chicago

and Cincinnati are also part of the AVP Nissan Championship Series.

More than 150 of the top professional beach volleyball players are

scheduled to compete this weekend.

Included in the women’s field is 2004 Olympic gold medal winners

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, the tournament’s two-time

defending champion.

On the men’s side, Karch Kiraly of San Clemente, the only

three-time Olympic gold medal winner, his partner, Costa Mesa’s Mike

Lambert, and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Eric Fonoimoana, are among

the contenders.

Jason Ring and George Roumain teamed to win the men’s title at

last year’s Huntington Beach Open.

Wacholder, who teamed last year with Angie Akers, reached the

women’s semifinals, where they were defeated in two games by

May-Treanor and Walsh.

But Wacholder and Youngs have defeated May-Treanor and Walsh twice

this year, beating them in the final of the AVP Nissan Series

Cincinnati Open the first weekend of July, and defeating them in

Paris two weeks ago.

The main draw competition begins at 9 a.m. today and continues on

Saturday, when the men’s final will be played at 1 p.m.

On Sunday, the main draw competition continues and the tournament

ends with the women’s final, also at 1 p.m.

Both finals will be televised at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday

on NBC.