2001 BVATour Beach Facts, Season Opens With Two Events In Florida
by Tim Simmons, BVA Press Director

(Photo by Mike Ranz, FIVB)

The BVA Tour's first two events are scheduled to be held in Clearwater, Florida and Miami Beach, Florida.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL AMERICA - The BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour is beginning it second season of competition with the United States' newest professional league adding men's play in 2001 after staging only women's events during its inaugural campaign in 2000. The BVA Tour is a professional beach volleyball organization specializing in the production of a nationwide tour and professional sports events. The BVA Tour "will provide a marketing platform for companies to link their brand with some of the best role models in professional sports and the active, healthy lifestyle that defines beach volleyball. The BVA Tour will provide elite beach volleyball athletes with opportunities to compete in the United States and prepare for major international and Olympic competition."

BVA TOUR RECOGNIZED - The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), the international governing body of the sport of volleyball worldwide, has endorsed the BVA and the BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour as its official women's and men's U. S. National Tour for the sport of beach volleyball. The FIVB has over 218 member countries and oversees the administration and promotion of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, which offers close to $5 million in prize money distributed equally between female and male competitors. The FIVB World Tour serves as the official Olympic qualification tour for the sport of beach volleyball. In January 2001, the International Olympic Committee declared that the sport of beach volleyball, which only achieved provisional status in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, had been installed as a permanent discipline in the Olympic Program. Beach volleyball was among the most popular sports at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The Olympic venue at Bondi Beach attracted over 20,000 spectators daily as the top beach volleyball competitors in the world competed before sold-out crowds.

BVA TOUR ON THE AIR - The BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will be televised in a one-hour format on ESPN2, FOX SPORTS NET and Univision Sports among other national and international broadcast partners. The BVA Tour professionally produces each telecast under the close direction of Emmy-award winning Executive Producer, Brad Fuss of Brighton Entertainment in New York.

BVA PARTNERS - The BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour partners include SPEEDO/Authentic Fitness Corporation, MIKASA, General Motors, Gillette for Women, Outpost.com, VolleyCentral.com, VolleyHut.com, Streamload.com, Jamba Juice, Park & Sun Sports and Allsport Photography among other regional partners.

Contact Information:
Beach Volleyball America
13955 Stowe Drive,
Poway, CA 92064
858/486-8659
FAX - 858/486-2817
bvatour.com
[email protected]

BVA Staff
CEO & Founder: Charlie Jackson
Chief Operating Officer: Lori Okimura
Marketing Services Director: Mike Kantor
Athlete Services Director: Laura Echolds

CHARLIE JACKSON - Charlie Jackson, a successful entrepreneur from the software industry, founded the BVA Tour in 1999. Jackson has founded and been CEO of two software-publishing companies that were successfully sold and merged into larger companies. Jackson also has been a seed investor in numerous high-tech startups, including Wired Ventures, Outpost.com and Pacific Coast Software. His success over the last decade in the computer industry provides him the financial resources to fully capitalize BVA Tour. Jackson also has been involved with volleyball for many years. He has been a member of the Board of Directors at USA Volleyball (USAV) and was the chairperson for the International Beach Commission, a sub-committee of the USAV Board created to oversee Olympic beach volleyball and the development of a Beach National Team. Additionally, Jackson has served as a director of the San Diego Volleyball Club and was a gold medallist in beach volleyball at the World Masters Games in 1994 in Brisbane, Australia. Recently, Jackson has channeled his business acumen into his passion for volleyball by opening VolleyHut.com, the largest on-line source for volleyball equipment and gear, and by founding the BVA Tour.

WHAT'S NEW - After successfully launching a women's tour in 2000, the BVA Tour has added men's competition for 2001, including Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana. The Gold Medallists at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Blanton and Fonoimoana upset the Brazilian pair of Ze'Marco de Melo and Ricardo Santos, who had won five FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour events in 2000 en route to $231,000 in international earnings. Rob Heidger and Kevin Wong, who finished fifth in Sydney after being eliminated by Blanton and Fonoimoana, will also compete on the 2001 BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, along with 1996 Olympians Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel. Smith, a winner of 139 domestic and international events, is the oldest elite player in the world and will be 44 during the 2001 season.

2001 SCHEDULE (All dates and venues are subject to change) - After staging all of 2000 events in Southern California, the BVA Tour will branch out in 2001 with events in California, Florida and Hawaii.

BVA HISTORY - The BVA Tour sanctioned eight women's events in 2000, including seven team tournaments. Barbra Fontana and Lisa Arce captured the inaugural BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour event in Oceanside, Calif. Here are the 2000 results.

2000 Women's Beach Volleyball America Gold Medallists
Oceanside, Calif., May 14 ($75,000) -- Lisa Arce/Barbra Fontana
Santa Monica, Calif., May 21 ($75,000) -- Annett Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan
Hermosa Beach, Calif., June 11 ($75,000) -- Carrie Busch/Leanne Schuster
Seal Beach, Calif., July 9 ($75,000) -- Holly McPeak/Misty May
Pismo Beach, Calif., August 13 ($75,000) -- Arce/Fontana
Long Beach, Calif., August 20 ($75,000) -- Nancy Reno/Elaine Youngs
San Diego, Calif., August 27 ($75,000) -- Davis/Johnson Jordan
Queen of the Beach, Las Vegas, October 8 ($75,000) -- Fontana

BVA AWARDS - Following the 2000 season, eight players were recognized for post-season awards. Holly McPeak was named the BVA Tour's Most Valuable Player and Best Defensive Player.

MVP: Holly McPeak
Best Setter: Carrie Busch
Best Defensive Player: Holly McPeak
Best Offensive Player: Annett Davis
Best Server: Ali Wood
Best Blocker: Nancy Reno
Most Improved Player (tie): Carrie Busch, Leanne Schuster, Rachel Wacholder
Rookie of the Year: Misty May

"LET SERVE" RULE - The FIVB Board of Administration approved the implementation of "Let the serve in play" for all FIVB events in 2000.

2001 COMPETITION NOTES - For the 2001 BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the following rules will be used:

• Each match will be the best of three rally-scoring sets.
• First two sets are to 21 points.
• Third eventual set is to 15 points.
• Must have a two-point advantage to win the set.
• No caps for all sets.
• Two timeouts per set with a duration of 30 seconds each
• Injury timeout - only one injury timeout per match is allowed per player.
• A side change will occur every 10 points in the first two sets and every five (5) points in the third eventual set. The side changes will be direct without delay.
• Time between sets will be one (1) minute.
• Court dimensions for the 2001 season are 8-meter by 8-meter per side, and will be implemented starting from January 2001.

PRO BEACH HISTORY - The first recorded USA pro beach event was held in 1948 on the sand at Will Rogers State Beach in California when Manny Saenz and Bernie Holtzman won a men's tournament. The first international beach event was held in 1987 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos won the inaugural FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour men's event. The first recorded USA women's pro beach event was held in 1983 when the Kathys (Gregory and Hanley) captured an event in Santa Barbara, Calif. Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno captured the first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour women's event in 1992 at Almeria, Spain.

BIRTH OF A SPORT - Most accounts places the origin of Beach Volleyball in California where families were seen playing 6 against 6. There also were rumors that six-man teams were playing on Hawaiian beaches. All you needed was a bathing suit, a net, a ball and sand to play beach volleyball. The fever caught on rapidly in the USA where people could escape the Depression by going to the beach. There were unconfirmed whispers of men's teams playing in the 1920s on the beach in Hawaii, but most accounts place the sport's origin in Santa Monica where the first volleyball courts were put up on that California beach. The first two-man beach volleyball game was played in the 1930s in Santa Monica. In 1947, the first official two-man Beach Volleyball tournament was held at California's State Beach with no prize money. American soldiers also began playing beach volleyball in 1947 on the European shores for the first time. In 1948, the first professional tournament was held with the best teams rewarded with a soft drink!

USA WOMEN ON THE FIVB TOUR - The United States women are the second winningest country on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour since the start of the international circuit in 1992. Holly McPeak has won 13 Gold Medals on the international tour, including seven with Nancy Reno, three with Lisa Arce and three in 2000 with Misty May. Karolyn Kirby and Reno won the inaugural event August 16, 1992 in Almeria, Spain when they defeated Linda Chisholm and Angela Rock in the All-USA final. A total of 21 women have earned medals for the United States on the international tour, including November's Bronze Medal finish by Nancy Mason and Leanne Schuster in Brazil. The United States has faced Brazil in 35 international finals with November's Gold Medal win by May and McPeak breaking a 17-17 tie. Overall, the United States has won 28 international Gold Medals, including seven in 2000.

2000 WOMEN'S FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD TOUR - Australia's Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst captured the Gold Medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (medals only, non-money/points event) when they defeated Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede of Brazil in the finals. Here are the 2000 women's money leaders, including a FIVB Challenger event in Greece.

1. Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil (4 open Golds), $189,000
2. Misty May/Holly McPeak, United States (3 open), $180,000
3. Liz Masakayan/Elaine Youngs, USA (3 open), $119,000
4. Jenny Johnson Jordan/Annett Davis, USA (1 open), $113,000
5. Monica Rodriques/Ana Paula Connelly, Bra (1 open), $94,000
6. Kerri Pottharst/Natalie Cook, Australia (1 Olympic), $86,000
7. Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel, Brazil, $83,000
8. Yukiko Takahashi/Teru Saiki, Japan, $73,000
9. Lisa Arce/Barbra Fontana, United States, $70,000
10. Tania Gooley/Pauline Manser, Australia, $56,000
11. Zi Xiong/Rong Chi, China, $42,500
12. Maria Jose Almeida/Cristina Peieira, Portugal, $39,000
13. Ulrike Schmidt/Gudula Staub, Germany, $36,000
14. Lina Yanchulova/Petia Yanchulova, Bulgaria (1 chal), $31,000
15. Zhang Jingkun/Tian Jia, China, $30,000
15. Laura Bruschini/Annamaria Solazzi, Italy, $30,000
17. Ines Pianka/Stephanie Pohl, Germany, $29,000
18. Maike Friedrichsen/Danja Musch, Germany, $28,500
19. Anabelle Prawerman/Cecile Rigaux, France, $24,500
20. Dalixia Fernandez/Tamara Larrea Peraza, Cuba, $24,000
21. Yukiko Ishizaka/Rii Seike, Japan, $23,500
22. Debora Schoon/Rebekka Kadijk, Netherlands, $23,000
23. Vassiliki Karadassiou/Efrosyni Sfyri, Greece, $21,200
24. Hilda Gaxiola/Teresa Galindo, Mexico, $21,000
25. Ryoko Tokuno/Chiaki Kusuhara, Japan, $19,000
26. Annette Huygens Tholen/Sarah Straton, Australia, $18,500
26. Amanda Glover/Audrey Cooper, England, $18,500
28. Monica Oliver/Denise Austin, England, $18,000
29. Solvi Byberg/Heidi Larsen, Norway, $18,000
30. Linda Hanley/Nancy Reno, United States, $17,000

USA MEN ON THE FIVB TOUR - The United States is the second winningest country on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour since the start of international circuit in 1987. Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos have teamed to win 10 of the 22 USA medals on the FIVB Tour, including a victory in the inaugural event February 22, 1987 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where they defeated Karch Kiraly and Pat Powers in the finals. A total of 34 men have earned medals for the United States on the international tour, including a Gold Medal by Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers at the 2000 Mexico event in Rosarito, and a win by Ian Clark and Bill Boullianne a year earlier in Acapulco. A total of 65 USA teams have netted podium finishes in the 115 men's events to date. The United States had two teams advance to the FIVB Gold Medal match nine times, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The United States has faced Brazil in 28 international finals with the South Americans winning 16 times.

2000 MEN'S FIVB BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORLD TOUR - The United States' Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana captured the Gold Medal at Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (medals only, non-money/points event) when they upset Ze'Marco de Melo and Ricardo Santos of Brazil in the finals. Here are the 2000 money leaders, including a FIVB Challenger event in Greece.

1. Ze'Marco/Ricardo Santos, Brazil (5 open), $231,000
2. Emanuel Rego/Jose Loiola, Brazil (4 open), $184,000
3. Paul Laciga/Martin Laciga, Swiss (1 open), $154,000
4. Marcio Araujo/Ben Insfran, Brazil (2 open), $152,000
5. Jorre Kjemperud/Vegard Hoidalen, Norway, $92,000
6. John Child/Mark Heese, Canada, $81,000
7. Sinjin Smith/Carl Henkel, United States, $61,000
8. Rob Heidger/Kevin Wong, United States, $59,000
9. Julien Prosser/Lee Zahner, Australia, $58,500
10. Jose Salema/Mariano Baracetti, Argentina (1 open), $56,000
11. Oliver Oetke/Andreas Scheuerpflug, Germany, $52,000
12. Blanton/Fonoimoana, USA (1 Olympics), $51,000
13. Sergey Ermichin/Mikhail Kouchnerev, Russia, $50,000
14. Jan Kvalheim/Bjorn Maaseide, Norway, $48,000
15. Esteban Martin/Martin Conde, Argentina, $44,500
16. Jody Holden/Conrad Leinemann, Canada, $41,000
17. Paulão Moreira/Jefferson Bellaguarda, Brazil, $40,200
18. Bjorn Berg/Simon Dahl, Sweden, $38,000
19. Luis Maia/Joao Brenha, Portugal, $37,500
20. Andrea Raffaelli/Maurizio Pimponi, Italy, $37,500
21. Nikolas Berger/Oliver Stamm, Austria, $36,500
22. Dax Holdren/Todd Rogers, United States (1), $35,000
23. Jorg Ahmann/Axel Hager, Germany, $32,000
24. Franco Neto/Roberto Lopes, Brazil, $31,000

MCPEAK TOPS - Here's a listing for combined 2000 earnings for United States players, including the BVA Tour (eight women's), the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (16 men's and 14 women's events), the Oldsmobile Beach Volleyball Olympic Challenge Series (one men's and two women's) and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (12 men's) circuits.

Player, Overall Earnings
1. Holly McPeak (5), $139,900.00
2. Misty May (5), $127,700.00
3. Barbra Fontana (3), $100,100.00
4. J. Johnson Jordan (3), $99,250.00
5. Annett Davis (3), $99,250.00
6. Elaine Youngs (4), $96,075.00
7. Mike Whitmarsh (2), $95,875.00
8. Dax Holdren (4), $93,375.00
9. Canyon Ceman (2), $84,875.00
10. Liz Masakayan (4), $75,000.00
11. Todd Rogers (2), $74,375.00
12. Lisa Arce (3), $73,200.00
13. Brian Lewis (1), $69,875.00
14. Dain Blanton (2), $52,500.00
15. Eric Fonoimoana (2), $52,500.00
16. Lee LeGrande (1), $48,750.00
17. Nancy Reno (1), $46,125.00
18. Adam Johnson (1), $42,375.00
19. Leanne Schuster (1), $37,000.00
20. Linda Hanley, $36,150.00
21. Nancy Mason, $36,025.00
22. Karch Kiraly (1), $33,875.00
23. Rob Heidger, $33,000.00
24. Kevin Wong, $33,000.00
25. Brent Doble (1), $32,500.00
26. Stein Metzger, $32,000.00
27. Sinjin Smith, $31,875.00
28. Carl Henkel, $30,000.00
29. Carrie Busch (1), $23,750.00
30. Ali Wood, $21,875.00
31. Karrie Poppinga, $21,875.00
32. Danalee Bragado, $20,875.00
33. Brent Frohoff, $19,750.00
34. Stephanie Cox, $18,375.00
35. Rachel Wacholder, $18,250.00
36. Jennifer Meredith, $18,250.00
37. Adam Jewell, $18,250.00
38. Ian Clark, $18,000.00
39. Larry Witt, $16,875.00
40. Katy Eldridge, $16,500.00

1996 Atlanta Olympic Games - Inaugural Beach Volleyball Medal Results
Gold Medal (Women) - Sandra Pires/Jackie Silva, Brazil def. Monica Rodrigues/Adriana Samuel, Brazil, 12-11 and 12-6.
Bronze Medal (Women) - Natalie Cook/Kerri Pottharst, Australia def. Barbra Fontana/Linda Hanley, USA, 12-11 and 12-7.
Gold Medal (Men) - Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes, USA def. Mike Dodd/Mike Whitmarsh, USA, 12-8 and 12-5
Bronze Medal (Men) - John Child/Mark Heese, Canada def. Joao Brenha/Luis Maia, Portugal, 12-5 and 12-8.

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games - Beach Volleyball Medal Results
Gold Medal (Women) - Natalie Cook/Kerri Pottharst, Australia def. Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede, Brazil, 12-11 and 12-10.
Bronze Medal (Women) - Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel, Brazil def. Yukiko Takahashi/Teru Saiki, Japan, 12-4 and 12-6.
Gold Medal (Men) - Dain Blanton/Eric Fonoimoana, USA def. Zé Marco de Melo/Ricardo Santos, Brazil, 12-11 and 12-9
Bronze Medal (Men) - Jörg Ahmann/Axel Hager, Germany def. Luis Maia/Joäo Brenha, Portugal, 12-9 and 12-6.

2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN GREECE - The sport of beach volleyball, which only achieved provisional status in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, has been installed as a permanent discipline in the Olympic Program by the International Olympic Committee for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where 10,000- and 7,500-seat stadiums are planned.

ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL - The United States won its second-straight Olympic Gold Medal in men's beach volleyball at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games competition. The USA men have won 20 of 27 Olympic beach volleyball matches, including a 16-3 record against international teams.

DAIN & ERIC - Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana advanced to the Sydney 2000 Olympic finals with wins over 16th-seeded Oliver Oetke and Andreas Scheuerpflug of Germany (15-7), eighth-seeded Jorre Kjemperud and Vegard Hoidalen of Norway (15-13), Rob Heidger and Kevin Wong of the United States (15-3), and 12th-seeded Luis Maia and Joäo Brenha of Portugal (15-12). Blanton and Fonoimoana showed the ability to rebound from deficits on Bondi Beach. Blanton and Fonoimoana rallied from deficits of 1-5, 3-7 and 8-10 to upset Kjemperud and Hoidalen. The Norwegians had nine serving aces, but suffered from 21 service faults. Against the Portuguese, the Americans scored the last five points of the match on Blanton's serve as Maia and Brenha were awarded a penalty point when Blanton and Fonoimoana were charged for a delay of game. Blanton and Fonoimoana trailed 1-4, 7-10 and 8-11 in the first set of the Gold Medal match before winning 12-11.

HEIDGER/WONG - Rob Heidger and Kevin Wong finished fifth in the Sydney 2000 Olympic competition after being eliminated by fellow countrymen Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana 15-3. Heidger and Wong gained a spot in the "elite eight" with a injury forfeit win over the Mexican team of Juan Ibarra and Joel Sotelo, who could not play due to a groin injury. Heidger and Wong benefited from the forfeit win and a "lucky loser" advancement to the "round of 16." The Americans won only one of three preliminary-phase matches and advanced to the "round of 16" on the strength of their point ratio for their three preliminary games. After losing their opening match 17-15 to Jody Holden and Conrad Leinemann of Canada after leading 14-9, Heidger and Wong came back to rout Jean Philippe Jodard and Christian Penigaud of France 15-2 to put themselves in position for a spot in the "round of 16" even if they dropped their final match. Heidger and Wong needed to score at least eight points to earn the "lucky loser" spot in the "round of 16" when they entered their match with Julien Prosser and Lee Zahner of Australia. Heidger and Wong built a 9-4 and 11-9 lead over the Australians before losing 15-11 to Prosser and Zahner. Heidger's and Wong's biggest problem during the 2000 season was their inability to "close out" a match.

Sydney 2000 USA Men's Results

Dain Blanton/Eric Fonoimoana, No. 9-seeded team
def. Oliver Oetke/Andreas Scheuerpflug, Germany, (No. 16-seeded team), September 17, 15-7 (37 minutes)
def. Jorre Kjemperud/Vegard Hoidalen, Norway,(8) September 22, 15-13,(54)
def. Rob Heidger/Kevin Wong, United States,(7), September 24, 15-3 (31)
def. Luis Maia/Joäo Brenha, Portugal, (12), September 24, 15-12 (71)
def. Zé Marco de Melo/Ricardo Santos of Brazil,(3), Gold Medal Match, September 26, 12-11, 12-9, (101)

Rob Heidger/Kevin Wong, No. 7-seeded team
lost to Jody Holden/Conrad Leinemann, Canada,(18), September 17,15-17, (60)
def. Jean Philippe Jodard/Christian Penigaud, France, (19), September 19, 15-2, (20)
lost to Julien Prosser/Lee Zahner, Australia, (1), September 19, 11-15,(38)
def. Joel Sotelo/Juan Ibarra, Mexico (24), September 22, injury forfeit
lost to Dain Blanton/Eric Fonoimoana, United States (9), Fifth-place, September 24, 4-15,(31)

FIFTHS FOR USA WOMEN - For the second-straight Olympics, a United States' women's beach volleyball team failed to win a medal, as the tandems of third-seeded Annett Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan and fourth-seeded Misty May/Holly McPeak placed fifth. Both American teams dropped quarterfinal matches to teams from Japan and Brazil, respectively. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the USA women finished fourth (Barbra Fontana/Linda Hanley), fifth (McPeak/Nancy Reno) and ninth (Gail Castro/Deb Richardson). Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst of Australia, who won the Bronze Medal in Atlanta and the Gold in Sydney, defeated all three USA teams at the 1996 Olympic Games.

DJs - After rallying to win their first two matches in Sydney, Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan dropped a 15-9 elimination decision to sixth-seeded Yukiko Takahashi and Teru Saiki of Japan in 48 minutes. The Japanese played a "flawless" game against Davis and Johnson, who could not answer Takahashi and Teru Saiki's challenge. Despite posting 20 domestic and international podium finishes the past two seasons, Davis and Johnson Jordan never established any rhythm on Bondi Beach. In their first match, Davis and Johnson Jordan led the Australian team of Annett Huygens Tholen and Sarah Straton for most of the match before the Aussies tied the score at 13-all. Huygens Tholen and Straton used the crowd to their advantage to get back into the match, but the Americans were able to handle the pressure to regain the lead to seal the opening win. Against the young Cuban tandem of Dalixia Fernandez Grossat and Tamara Larrea Peraza, Davis and Johnson Jordan overcame 6-2 and 9-6 deficits to win the match by scoring the last nine points of the "sweet 16" contest.

M&Ms - Misty May and Holly McPeak, who had been the world's top team for their last five FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour starts with two wins, two seconds and a fourth, dropped a 16-14 Olympic quarterfinal decision to fifth-seeded Sandra Pires and Adriana Samuel of Brazil. Pires and Samuel had won the Gold and Silver medals, respectively, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and netted a third together in Sydney. A stomach injury for May slowed down the team's preparation for the Olympics. A slight pulled muscle in a BVA Tour event in Seal Beach, Calif., July 9, turned into a "sports hernia" for May, who missed two international events in July and a pair of domestic stops in August. While taking Pires and Samuel into "overtime," May and McPeak missed a "golden" opportunity to advance to the medal round when they failed to covert "key" plays into points. Despite winning their first two matches over Martina Hudcova and Tereza Tobiasova of the Czech Republic and Daniela Gattelli and Lucilla Perrotta of Italy, May and McPeak were disappointed in the way they finished both matches. The Czechs were down 14-2 in the first match as May and McPeak were not able to close their opponents quickly. May and McPeak, who led 5-1, 8-4, 12-6 and 14-11 in their second match against the Italians, lacked a consistent attack and defense to eliminate Gattelli and Perrotta quickly.

Sydney 2000 USA Women's Results

Annett Davis/Jenny Johnson Jordan, No. 3-seeded team
def. Annette Huygens Tholen/Sarah Straton, Australia, (No. 22-seeded team), September 16, 15-13,(38 minutes)
def. Dalixia Fernandez Grossat/Tamara Larrea Peraza, Cuba, (20), September 21, 15-9,(34)
lost to Yukiko Takahashi/Teru Saiki, Japan (6), Fifth-Place, September 23, 9-15,(48)

Misty May/Holly McPeak, No. 4-seeded team
def. Martina Hudcova/Tereza Tobiasova, Czech Republic (21), September 16, 15-5,(22)
def. Daniela Gattelli/Lucilla Perrotta, Italy (18), September 21, 15-13, (46)
lost to Sandra Pires/Adriana Samuel, Brazil (5), Fifth-Place, September 23, 14-16,(49)

MM GOOD - Misty May became the winningest first-season player in USA domestic history in 2000 with five Gold Medal finishes, including two domestic titles. Elaine Youngs' made her pro beach debut in 1997 by winning two domestic titles with Liz Masakayan. May finished the 2000 season with $127,700 for her rookie season. Youngs' had the previous best rookie earnings mark of $24,266 for 10 events in 1997.

2001 GOODWILL GAMES IN AUSTRALIA - The women's and men's beach volleyball tournaments will be held in Brisbane from August 29-September 4, 2001. The 2001 Goodwill Games will feature an increased field (16 teams for each gender) and prize money ($150,000 for each gender). St. Petersburg, Russia hosted the first Goodwill Games in 1994 with Jan Kvalheim and Bjorn Maaseide of Norway and Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan of the United States winning the Gold Medals. Sinjin Smith and Bruk Vandeweghe captured the Bronze Medal for the United States in the Russian Goodwill Games. Brazil captured both Gold Medals at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York's famed Central Park. Para Ferreira and Guilherme Marquez captured the men's title by defeating Adam Johnson and Karch Kiraly of the United States in the Gold Medal match. Adriana Behar and Shelda Bede won the women's Gold in New York by defeating Pauline Manser and Kerri Pottharst of Australia in the finals. Holly McPeak and Lisa Arce of the United States captured the Bronze Medal in Central Park.

Career USA Women's Beach Volleyball Wins

Player/Overall
1. Karolyn Kirby/67
2. Holly McPeak/55
3. Liz Masakayan/44
4. Nancy Reno/38
5. Linda Chisholm/36
6. Angela Rock/27
7. Linda Hanley/19
8. Lisa Arce/18
9. Barbra Fontana/16
10. Janice Harrer/15
11. Cammy Ciarelli/14
12. Patty Dodd/13
13. Nina Matthies/10, Elaine Youngs/10
15. Lori Forsythe/8
16. Annett Davis/6, Jenny Johnson Jordan/6
18. Kathy Gregory/5, Gail Castro/5, Misty May/5
20. Kathy Hanley/4, Elaine Roque/4
23. Players with one (1) win: Dennie Shupryt Knoop, Anna Prousalis, Julie Schaar Thornton, Nancy Townsend, Carrie Busch, Leanne Schuster, Lisa Strand-Ma'a, Marie Andersson, Christine Schaefer,Marla O'Hara, Gayle Stammer, Donna Townsend, Monique Oliver.

Career USA Women's Beach Volleyball Earnings

Player, Overall
1. Holly McPeak, $715,178
2. Karolyn Kirby, $606,464
3. Liz Masakayan, $572,623
4. Barbra Fontana, $540,584
5. Nancy Reno, $531,698
6. Angela Rock, $439,782
7. Lisa Arce, $434,730
8. Linda Hanley, $401,234
9. Elaine Roque, $270,696
10. Linda Chisholm, $262,638
11. Elaine Youngs, $249,241
12. Gail Castro, $244,207
13. Lori Forsythe, $228,926
14. Annett Davis, $213,800
15. Janice Harrer, $212,822
16. J. Johnson Jordan, $211,306
17. Patty Dodd, $199,712
18. Deb Richardson, $171,616
19. Cammy Ciarelli, $169,423
20. Dennie Shupryt Knoop, $144,770
21. Misty May, $132,450
22. Gayle Stammer, $128,679
23. Chris Schaefer, $113,088
24. Karrie Poppinga, $111,002
25. Marla O'Hara, $106,128
26. Charlotte Roach, $95,303
27. Rita Crockett, $88,837
28. Nina Matthies, $87,268
29. Ali Wood, $85,309
30. Krista Blomquist, $79,310
31. Danalee Bragado, $75,876
32. Lisa Strand-Ma'a, $70,554
33. Monique Oliver, $68,689
34. Leanne Schuster, $67,810
35. Pat Keller-Killiany, $62,623
36. Nancy Mason, $54,975
37. Valinda Hilleary, $51,037
38. Wendy Fletcher, $46,645
39. Marie Andersson, $45,255
40. Jackie Campbell, $44,977
41. Alison Johnson, $41,380
42. Jennifer Meredith, $40,098
43. Heather Hafner, $34,487
44. Carrie Busch, $32,770
45. Stephanie Cox, $31,429
46. Lori Biller, $28,222
47. Gabrielle Reece, $26,412
48. Shannon Millen, $24,774

Career USA Men's Beach Volleyball Wins

Player/Total
1. Karch Kiraly/142
2. Sinjin Smith/139
3. Randy Stoklos/122
4. Kent Steffes/110
5. Mike Dodd/75
6. Ron Von Hagen/62
7. Tim Hovland/60
8. Jim Menges/46
9. Adam Johnson/43
10. Ron Lang/41
11. Greg Lee/28
12. Gene Selznick/27, Mike Whitmarsh/27
14. Matt Gage/26
15. Jon Stevenson/21
16. Andy Fishburn/19
17. Brent Frohoff/18
18. Scott Ayakatubby/17, Mike O'Hara/17, Mike Bright/17
21. John Hanley 16
22. Henry Bergman/15
23. Dane Selznick/13, Pat Powers/13, Larry Rundle/13, Tom Chamales/13
27. Gary Hooper/10, Buzz Swartz/10
29. Bob Clem/9, Steve Obradovich/9
31. John Vallely/8, Chris Marlowe/8
33. Brian Lewis/7, Fred Sturm/7, Ricci Luyties/7
36. Todd Rogers/6, Dax Holdren/6, Bernie Holtzman/6, Eric Fonoimoana/6
40. Canyon Ceman/5, Dan Vrebalovich/5, Dain Blanton/5, Jay Hanseth/5
44. David Swatik/4, Pete Hogan/4, Don McMahon/4, Bob Jackson/4
48. Players with three (3) wins: Randy Carter, Tim Walmer, Mark Eller, Bill Imwalle, Dennis Hare, Fred Zeulich, Leif Hanson, Keith Erickson.
56. Players with two (2) wins: Andrew Smith, Lee LeGrande, Bill Boullianne, Mark Kerins, Bill Wieand, Dave McKay, Ernie Suwara, Dave Boardwell, Larry Scott, Steve Sims, Pete Colbert.
57. Players with one (1) win: Rob Heidger, Bob Jones, Marshall Savage, Rudy Suwara, Mike Carey, Butch May, Dane Holtzman, Gene Pflueger, Scott Carter, Brian Lewis, Sr., Mike Normand, Craig Freeburg, John Eddo, Ian Clark, Peter Ehrman, Al Janc, Rick Shaw, Brent Doble, Dick Davis, Del Miller, Manny Saenz, Tom Howlett, Walt Schiller, Barry Brown, Jud Millard, Dick Jackson, Ev Keller, Dan Prall, Ed Teagle, Henry Russell, Kevin Cleary, Mike Colbert, Jeff Southcott, Joe Beena, Eric Wurts, Bob Hogan, Bruk Vandeweghe, Gordon Evans, Jim Prather, Steve Timmons.

Career USA Men's Beach Volleyball Earnings

Player, Overall
1. Karch Kiraly, $2,953,559
2. Kent Steffes, $2,537,318
3. Randy Stoklos, $1,691,918
4. Mike Dodd, $1,668,666
5. Adam Johnson, $1,652,386
6. Mike Whitmarsh, $1,488,063
7. Sinjin Smith, $1,344,751
8. Brian Lewis, $962,433
9. Brent Frohoff, $955,876
10. Tim Hovland, $944,128
11. Scott Ayakatubby, $852,388
12. Ricci Luyties, $805,017
13. Eric Fonoimoana, $729,103
14. Bill Boullianne, $596,486
15. Pat Powers, $508,910
16. Canyon Ceman, $505,998
17. Troy Tanner, $469,546
18. Dain Blanton, $467,226
19. Dan Vrebalovich, $441,919
20. Andrew Smith, $428,914
21. Leif Hanson, $421,461
22. Rob Heidger, $411,099
23. Scott Friederichsen, $409,900
24. Eric Wurts, $385,184
25. John Hanley, $366,390
26. Bruk Vandeweghe, $359,894
27. David Swatik, $323,499
28. Al Janc, $322,479
29. Tim Walmer, $302,153
30. Craig Moothart, $284,606
31. Wes Welch, $282,359
32. Jon Stevenson, $281,346
33. Ian Clark $273,542
34. Larry Mear, $249,903
35. Carl Henkel, $244,256
36. Jeff Rodgers, $238,039
37. Mark Kerins, $237,343
38. Dax Holdren, $236,056
39. Todd Rogers, $221,316
40. Chris Young, $209,383
41. Kevin Martin, $205,294
42. Kevin Wong, $173,876

2001 BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Event Site Notes

April 20-22 at the Pier 60 South, Clearwater Beach, Fla. - Clearwater has been the site of five previous women's pro beach events, including a 1995 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event. The United States placed second, third and fourth behind Brazil's Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Gold Medallists, in the international event. The last domestic women's event was in 1999 when Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs defeated Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan in the finals. Clearwater has been the site of 19 previous men's pro beach events, including a 1995 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event. The United States' Bruk Vandeweghe and Jeff Williams placed third behind two teams from Brazil. The last domestic men's event was in 1999 when Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medallists, defeated Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson in the finals.

May 4-6 at Lummus Park, South Beach, Miami Beach, Fla. - Miami has been the site of four previous women's pro beach events, including a 1994 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event where the United States placed second and third behind Brazil's Isabel Salgado and Roseli Timm. The last domestic women's event was in 1997 when Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak defeated Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno in the finals. Miami has been the site of five previous men's pro beach events, including a 1994 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event where the United States' Carlos Briceno and Jeff Williams placed third behind teams from Norway and Brazil. The last domestic men's event was in 1997 when Kent Steffes and Jose Loiola defeated Mark Kerins and Andrew Smith in the finals.

May 25-27 at Pier Plaza, Oceanside, Calif. - Oceanside will be hosting a BVA Tour women's event for the second-straight season. The Pier Plaza site staged the BVA Tour's inaugural event last May when Barbra Fontana and Lisa Arce defeated Misty May and Holly McPeak in the finals. The men will be playing for the first-time ever in Oceanside.

June 7-10 at third annual Mervyn's California Beach Bash 2001 at The Pier, Hermosa Beach, Calif. - Hermosa Beach has been the site of 18 previous women's pro beach events, including FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour events in 1995 and 1996. Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno earned a 1995 Gold and 1996 Bronze at the two international stops. The last domestic women's event was the BVA Mervyn's California Beach Bash 2000 where Carrie Busch and Leanne Schuster defeated Nancy Mason and Rachel Wacholder in the finals. Hermosa Beach has been the site of 35 previous men's pro beach events, including FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour events in 1995 and 1996. Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh earned a 1995 Gold at the international stop. The last domestic event was the Mervyn's California Beach Bash 2000 where Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego defeated Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers in the finals.

July 13-15 at San Francisco, Calif. - A total of 44 pro beach volleyball events (37 men's and seven women's) have been held at three sites in the Bay Area - San Francisco (one women's and six men's), San Jose (one women's and three men's) and Santa Cruz (five women's and 28 men's).

• -Santa Cruz: Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medallists Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana won the last Bay Area event by defeating Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego in the 2000 Santa Cruz finale. Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan won the last women's Santa Cruz women's event by defeating Deb Richardson and Denny Shupryt-Knoop in the 1994 final.
• San Francisco: Cammy Ciarelli and Holly McPeak won the only women's event in San Francisco by defeating Nancy Reno and Angela Rock in the 1994 finals.
• San Jose: Ciarelli and McPeak won the women's San Jose title in 1994 by defeating Linda Chisholm and Linda Hanley in the finals.

August 10-12 at The Pier, Huntington Beach, Calif. - Huntington Beach has hosted eight women's pro beach events. Lisa Arce and Barbra Fontana won the last domestic team event in Huntington by defeating Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan in the 1999 final. Arce won the 1998 Queen of the Beach crown in Huntington by besting Angela Rock, Holly McPeak and Barbra Fontana for the title. Huntington Beach has hosted three men's pro beach events.

August 17-19 at The BVA U. S. Open of Beach Volleyball in Southern California - Site to be determined.

September 15-16 at The BVA Tour Championship at Fort DeRussy Beach, Honolulu, Hi. - Honolulu has hosted one pro beach women's event (an eight-team invitational) as Karolyn Kirby and Jackie Silva won the 1990 title by defeating Linda Chisholm and Linda Hanley in the finals. Honolulu has hosted seven men's pro beach events. Randy Stoklos and Sinjin Smith captured the last Honolulu event in 1992 by defeating Adam Johnson and Kent Steffes in the finals.

FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour
Combined 2001 Provisional Calendar
(Revised February 13, 2000 )

Men & Women

Dates, Site, Event Number

April 4-8, Macau, Macau, Inaugural Women Open
May 16-20, Rosarito, Mexico, 3rd Men & 3rd Women Open
June 13-17, Tenerife, Canary Island (Spain), 7th Men Open
June 13-17, Cagliari, Italy, 2nd Women Open
June 19-24, Gstaad, Switzerland, 2nd Women & Inaugural Men Open
June 27-July 1, Berlin, Germany, 6th Men Open
July 4-8, Gran Canaria, Spain, Inaugural Women Open
July 4-8, Stavanger, Norway, 3rd Men Open
July 11-15, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, 9th Men Open
July 16-22, Marseille, France, 5th Women & 8th Men Grand Slam
July 24-29, Espinho, Portugal, 7th Women & 7th Men Open
August 1-5, Klagenfurt, Austria, 3rd Men and 3rd Women World Championships
August 8-12, Osaka, Japan, 8th Women Open
August 8-12, Ostende, Belgium, 6th Men Open
August 15-19, Maoming, China, Inaugural Women Open
August 22-26, Hong Kong, Inaugural Women Open
August 29-September 4, Brisbane (South Bank Piazza), Australia, 3rd Men & 3rd Women Goodwill Games
September 12-16, Mallorca, Spain, Inaugural Men Open
October 30-November 4, Fortaleza, Brazil, 2nd Women Open
November 27-December 2, Vitoria, Brazil, 4th Men Open

BVA ON THE WEB - Information on the BVA Tour and the sport of volleyball can be found at the following web sites:

• -Beach Volleyball America (bvatour.com) - The site is maintained by the BVA Tour staff ([email protected]) at the BVA offices in Poway, Calif.
• VolleyCentral (http://www.volleycentral.com) - The site is maintained by Rick Capone ([email protected]) at the VolleyCentral offices in Poway, Calif.
• Beach Volleyball Data Base (www.bvbdb.com) - The site is maintained by Dennis Wagner ([email protected]) of Virginia Beach, Va. Dr. Ono has tracked 1,074 events and 1,904 players.
• USA Volleyball (www.usavolleyball.org) - The site is maintained by Brent Buzbee ([email protected]) at the USA Volleyball Offices in Colorado Springs, Colo.
• FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (www.fivb.org) - The site is maintained by the FIVB's beach department ([email protected]) at the FIVB headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

MEDIA INFORMATION OPERATIONS - Tim Simmons (303/678-8484; e-mail [email protected]) is the Media Information Officer for the BVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.