AVP's Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh to reunite this month

After an Achilles' tendon injury sidelined her for the first 15 events in the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals' 2009 season, Misty May-Treanor will reunite with Kerri Walsh beginning Sept. 25 in the AVP Crocs Tour World Challenge in Glendale, Ariz.

"It's hard to believe it has been an entire year since I last played on tour," May-Treanor said in a statement. "I've been working hard to get back into shape after the injury and I think it will be a lot of fun getting back on the sand and playing with Kerri."

The two won gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and lead the AVP Tour in career wins (105 for May-Treanor, 103 for Walsh)

Walsh returned last month from maternity leave, partnering with Rachel Wacholder. May-Treanor, who suffered the injury during a taping for  "Dancing With the Stars," appeared in an exhibition match with Walsh against Shaquille O'Neal for ABC's "Shaq Vs."

"I'm so excited to play with Misty again," Walsh said in a statement. "I know she's been training on her own and I think we're going to find our rhythm really quickly. I couldn't ask for a better partner for this event, and her decision to play with me means so much. We have such a special relationship and I think that will really show on the court."

-- Mark Medina

Photo: Kerri Walsh, left, and Misty May-Treanor show off their gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Credit: Natacha Pisarenko / AP.

Shaq hits beach, takes on May-Treanor and Walsh

Shaquille O’Neal is taking cross-training to a new level.

He’s starring in a new reality show on ABC, called “Shaq vs.,” where he battles other superstar athletes at their sports. He’ll take on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya, swimmer Michael Phelps and Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols.

He’ll start Sunday, when he’ll play pro beach volleyball players and two-time Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. He’ll play with Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers, and Rogers’ partner Phil Dalhausser will coach.

“I just now added Hermosa Beach sand to my salad. I eat sand,” O’Neal said during a news conference with May-Treanor and Walsh.

Their banter was light-hearted, yet Shaq is taking this seriously. He believes he has what it takes to win the challenge – and he better, because if he loses, he has to walk two miles in a pink Speedo.

“Three sizes too small,” he said.

UCLA, UC Irvine bring home NCAA championships

A pair of NCAA championship trophies are coming to Southern California.

The UCLA women's water polo team upset rival USC, 5-4, to win its fifth straight NCAA title and 11th overall. The Bruins own a collective 104 NCAA team titles, tops in the nation. It was the last game for coach Adam Krikorian, who will become the U.S. Women's Water Polo National Team coach. He will also continue serving as a coach for the UCLA men's team.

UC Irvine also won a national title by beating USC last weekend, with the Anteaters' 3-2 victory earning their second NCAA title in men's volleyball in the last three years. In all sports, UC Irvine has now collected 26 NCAA titles.

--Adam Rose

Top photo: The UCLA women's water polo national celebrates its national championship. Credit: Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photography

Bottom photo: The UC Irvine men's volleyball team celebrates its national championship. Credit: George Frey / Associated Press

Beach volleyball queen Holly McPeak retires

The Association of Volleyball Professionals just announced that Holly McPeak has retired.

McPeak, who will turn 40 later this month, is among the most decorated beach volleyball players in history, having played in three Olympics, winning what was then a record 72 consecutive matches during one span, and with career tour earnings of more than $1.5 million.

McPeak and partner Jenny Kropp finished in ninth place at the AVP tour stop at San Diego last week.

No reason was given for her decision, though a segment on her website said McPeak had "not been happy with her own play" during three consecutive ninth-place finishes this year. McPeak is married to Leonard Armato, former chief executive of the AVP tour.

--Mike Hiserman

Photo: Holly McPeak, shown here during an exhibition match at the Hermosa Beach Open, has decided to retire. Credit: Holly Stein/AP Photo.

Pepperdine advances to volleyball tournament final

The best collegiate volleyball player in America is an Australian. Paul Carroll of Pepperdine, a 6-foot-8 senior who sent out e-mails and DVDs four years ago looking for a college after being a teenage standout in Australia, had 33 kills in helping the Waves defeat Cal State Northridge, 27-30, 40-38, 30-26, 30-23, Thursday night in a semifinal match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament at UC Irvine's Bren Center.

No. 2-seeded Pepperdine (22-4) advances to Saturday's 7 p.m. final against No. 5 USC, which upset top-seeded Irvine, 30-25, 30-25, 30-27. The winner of the match between will earn an automatic berth to next week's NCAA Final Four at Brigham Young.

Carroll was selected the MPSF player of the year this season, and he was at his best in the decisive second game, contributing 15 kills.

"He was definitely the difference," Northridge Coach Jeff Campbell said. "He's a great volleyball player. He's played against the best in the world."

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Pepperdine's Paul Carroll winding up for a kill against Stanford in January. Credit: Chris Michaels via Flickr.

USC's national championship comes a tad early

The Women of Troy won the 2009 Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship this past weekend.

The NCAA will start awarding national championships in the sport during the 2010-11 academic year.

While the title won't count toward USC's NCAA totals, it's still a big accomplishment for the program, which finished ahead of a number of fellow hard-court powerhouses. Nebraska was runner-up, followed by Texas, Hawaii, San Diego, North Carolina, Utah and UC Riverside.

When introduced at the Division-I level (it was already approved for Division II), the sport will officially be called sand volleyball, reportedly to appeal to landlocked schools. Semantics haven't seemed like much of a problem before -- the tournament just won by USC was held in Riverside, which certainly isn't ocean side. The 2009 AVP tour is visiting such tropical locals as Houston; Atlanta; Brooklyn; Las Vegas; Mason, Ohio; Muskegon, Mich.; and Glendale, Ariz.

The Trojans were led by the duos of Jessica Gysin/Alex Jupiter and Zoe Garrett/Geena Urango, who won their respective divisions. CBS Sports will air a one-hour program about the event on May 16 at 11 a.m. PDT.

-- Adam Rose

Photo: USC women's volleyball players pose with their 2009 Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship trophies. Credit: Ricky Hang / USC Athletics

AVP has good first impression of Riverside Tour Open

After performing a series of slow-motion and fast-forwarded crowd waves, fans at Stadium Court were asked Sunday by the emcee of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals whether they wanted the inaugural Riverside Tour Open to return next year.

Fans offered an enthusiastic response. 

"Thank God for the AVP, and thank God for Riverside," the emcee concluded in one of his many hyperbolic phrases during the organization's second tour stop. 

Afterward, Jason Hodell, who took over as head of the professional beach volleyball tour after Leonard Armato recently stepped down, felt confident the AVP will return to downtown Riverside in 2010.    

Beach volleyball featuring Internet streams and fantasy leagues

 

 

Beach volleyball fans who can't make it out to the Crocs Tour Riverside Open this weekend can watch it streamed on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals' website starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. Jason Hodell, the head of the professional beach volleyball tour after Leonard Armato recently stepped down, says 6,000 people already signed up.  

That project is one of two initiatives that Hodell is trying to spearhead as the 2009 season gets underway. The AVP also recently created its own fantasy league, which Hodell says already has 500 players. Hodell hopes the fantasy league will create more familiarity with the field, especially since two-time Olympic gold medalists Misty-May Treanor and Kerri Walsh are indefinitely sidelined for the 2009 season.

"Our volleyball base know most of the top players, not just Misty and Kerri," Hodell said. "I don't think there's too much learning that has to go on with the middle of the pack. But there are players trying to break through, and there's a lot of discovery that can take place."

-- Mark Medina

 

Photo: Todd Rogers, making a dig last season at the Long Beach Open, is part of the top men's tandem on the AVP Crocs Tour with partner Phil Dalhausser. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Cal State Northridge No. 1 in volleyball?

They're celebrating at Cal State Northridge today after the Matadors upset No. 1-ranked Pepperdine, 30-24, 30-22, 33-35, 26-30, 15-12 on Wednesday night at Pepperdine.

It was the first victory for the fourth-ranked Matadors in Malibu in 13 years. Eric Vance had 23 kills for Northridge, which is tied with Pepperdine for first place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Dodgers' trade for Manny Ramirez voted No. 1 L.A. moment for 2008

Mannywood made the most impression on L.A.-area sports fans in 2008, according to the Los Angeles Sports Council.

For its 4th Annual L.A. Sports Awards, the council named the Dodgers' acquisition of Manny Ramirez as the No. 1 moment of 2008.

Kobe Bryant's selection as the NBA's most valuable player was second in awards voted on by a media panel.

Others:

3. Jason Lezak's anchor leg in the 400-meter relay in Beijing, enabling Michael Phelps to win another gold medal. Lezak is from Irvine.

4. Lakers' return to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

5. Dodgers advance to National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

6. UCLA Bruins earn third consecutive berth in the Final Four men's basketball tournament.

7. USC Trojans win seventh consecutive Pac-10 football championship.

8. Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor repeat as Olympic beach volleyball gold medalists.

9. The Angels win 100 games.

10. Candace Parker named the WNBA's MVP and rookie of the year for the Sparks.

-- Randy Harvey

Photo: Manny Ramirez hits a three-run home run for the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Phillies. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times