Locals battle, advance at AVP Crocs Cup Shootout

MASON, Ohio — Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, the two-time Olympic gold medal winning duo, continued their torrid pace, advancing to today’s semifinals of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Crocs Cup Shootout Saturday at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

May-Treanor, the former Newport Harbor High standout, and Walsh, as well as Costa Mesa resident Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal were presented keys to the city by Mason Mayor Tom Grossman. Fellow Olympians Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, who won gold in Beijing, along with Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh were also presented keys to the city.

May-Treanor and Walsh will try to reach the final and win their 20th consecutive title. The duo racked up their 111th straight victory after defeating the fourth seeded team of Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan in two games 21-18, 21-11.

The women’s final is scheduled for today 10:30 a.m. and will be televised by NBC.

April Ross, also a former Newport Harbor standout, and her partner Jen Boss, lost to Branagh and Youngs, 23-21, 21-18, but still have a shot to play in today’s semifinals. Boss and Ross will take on eighth seeds Carrie Dodd and Tatiana Minello in a contender’s bracket match that has the winner advancing to the semifinals.

On the men’s side, Gibb and Rosenthal, the No. 2 seeds, secured their spot in the today’s semifinals with a victory over John Hyden and Brad Keenan, the sixth-seeded team that had upset third seeds Nick Lucena and Sean Scott. It took three games for Gibb and Rosenthal to win as they took out Hyden and Keenan, 21-18, 17-21, 15-12. Hyden and Keenan will match up against eighth seeds Matt Fuerbringer, an Estancia High product, and Casey Jennings in a contender’s bracket match with a spot in the semifinals on the line. Today’s men’s final will follow the women’s final.

Newport Beach resident Jason Ring and Costa Mesa’s Hans Stolfus were eliminated Saturday, losing to Aaron Wachtfogel and Scott Wong, 21-11, 21-16, in the contender’s bracket, second round. In that round, Ty Tramblie, a Newport Harbor product, and Mike Morrison also bowed out, losing to Matt Olson and Kevin Wong, 21-17, 21-13.

— From staff reports