May-Treanor, Walsh advance top AVP semifinal

The top-seeded team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh moved in the women’s semifinal of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Miami Open Saturday after several easy wins.

May-Treanor and Walsh defeated Katie Lindquist and Tracy Lindquist, 21-9, 21-8, in their first match Saturday. Then May-Treanor faced off with April Ross (the two share alma mater Newport Harbor) and Jennifer Boss.

The defending Crocs Cup champions lost the first game, 18-21, but bounced back, 21-14, 15-8, to advance to the semifinals today.

Second-seeded Elaine Young and Nicole Branagh, the defending Miami Open women’s champions, moved into the other women’s semifinal. Young and Branagh swept both their matches. They defeated Ashley Ivey and Heather Lowe, 21-16, 21-13, then took Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder, 21-17, 21-16.

Ross and Boss, who beat Annette Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, 16-21, 24-22 in their first Saturday match, will play Angie Akers and Holly McPeak in the women’s quarterfinal today.

Sixth-seeded Nick Lucena and Sean Scott were a surprise entrant in the men’s semifinal. They upset third-seeded Jake Gibb of Costa Mesa and Sean Rosenthal, 23-21, 17-21, 15-12. Lucena followed that win with a victory over second-seeded John Hyden and Brad Keenan, winning, 21-14, 21-17.

Top-seeded Phil Dalhausser-Todd Rogers, the defending men’s Miami Open champions, took the spot in the other men’s semifinal. They beat Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus, 21-14, 18-21, 15-11, in their first match, then Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 19-21, 21-15, 15-11.

Gibb and Rosenthal will play Medel and Souza in the men’s quarterfinal, while Matt Fuerbringer, an Estancia product, and Casy Jennings will battle Hyden and Keenan.

After the surprise loss to Lucena and Scott, Gibb and Rosenthal beat Pedro Brazao and Jose Loiola, 21-14, 21-10, and Jeff Carlucci and John Mayer, 21-12, 21-15, in the losers’ bracket.

Playing in the losers’ bracket, Fuerbringer and Jennings defeated John Moran and Casey Patterson 21-15, 21-14 in their first Saturday match. They beat Loomis and Stolfus in the second match 21-16, 21-18.

— From staff reports