May-Treanor, Walsh triumph

HUNTINGTON BEACH— By now, winning volleyball tournaments has become as second nature to Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh as slipping their feet into flip-flops is for beachfront residents here.

But winning here still has special meaning for May-Treanor and Walsh. It’s a hometown beach for May-Treanor, who went to Newport Harbor High, and more significantly, it’s the place where the pair began their thriving partnership.

May-Treanor and Walsh defeated Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs Sunday afternoon, 21-14, 21-16, in the final of the Cuervo Gold Crown Huntington Beach Open South of the pier.

Minutes before the match started, Branagh and Youngs were called to the stage to accept the $100,000 Cuervo Gold Crown bonus while May-Treanor and Walsh were warming up for the match.

At that point there was only one thing on their minds.

“We were thinking about winning,” said May-Treanor, who had 12 kills and 17 digs in the championship match.

“I am happy for them, and I’m not lying when I say it, but I wish it was us,” Walsh said. “They beat us in Miami fair and square, but all weekend, they had so many close matches, it was like ‘Oh my God, they had so many chances (to lose).’ It’s tough when it wasn’t in our hands.”

Having won in Miami and having placed second in Dallas, Branagh and Youngs only needed to make it to the final at Huntington Beach to clinch the bonus, which was awarded to the points leaders after the first three tournaments of the season. May-Treanor and Walsh finished third at the Miami Open. Had they finished second, the pair would have been in contention for the bonus in Sunday’s final.

“It was kind of a blow to us that we had no chance to win the bonus, so we wanted to win this match,” May-Treanor said.

She and Walsh called it a huge motivating factor.

May-Treanor and Walsh started the first game slowly, allowing Branagh and Youngs to take a 6-8 lead before breaking away on an 11-3 run.

“We were in neutral, and then we found drive,” May-Treanor said, laughing. “We were learning how to drive a stick shift.”

Walsh concurred.

“It was really close in the beginning, but it felt like we didn’t have that extra oomph. You know, we were kind of hanging in there, but we were giving too many points away,” Walsh said.

“I felt pretty good in the warm-up and the very beginning of the first game,” Youngs said. “We were up, 8-6, in the first and the wheels just fell off.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613.