Oh, so close

A week after winning the Huntington Beach Open, Rachel Wacholder and

Elaine Youngs fell short of claiming the title of the Assn. of

Volleyball Professional’s Manhattan Beach Open on Sunday.

In a Women’s final that was a rematch of the Aug. 21 Huntington

Beach Open final, Wacholder and Youngs, seeded second in the

tournament, were edged by the No. 1 team of Misty May-Treanor and

Kerri Walsh, 23-21, 22-20, 15-11, before a standing room only crowd.

“It was really fun,” Wacholder said. “I think they played better.

I felt like we were playing tough but Misty really picked it up.”

Wacholder, a 1993 graduate of Laguna Beach High, finished the

championship match with 25 kills and 25 digs.

On Aug. 21, Wacholder and Youngs, swept May-Treanor and Walsh, in

Huntington Beach.

May-Treanor and Walsh’s victory Sunday was the duo’s fifth in

seven championship matches this season against Wacholder and Youngs,

and is the 43rd title for the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal-winning team.

“It is friendly intense, and we all respect each other,” Youngs

said of the rivalry she and Wacholder have established with

May-Treanor and Walsh. “It’s a friendly rivalry. We match up well

with them.”

Wacholder agreed.

“We’re all competitive,” she said.

The victory allowed May-Treanor and Walsh to add their second

plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier, in honor of their two Manhattan

Beach Open championships.

As is tradition, winners of the event have their names etched on

the pier.

The Manhattan Beach Open is considered the “grand daddy of them

all,” said the AVP’s all-time victory leader, Karch Kiraly, and

offers the most prize money of any other AVP tournament throughout

the year.

Dain Blanton, a 1990 graduate of Laguna Beach High, and partner

Kevin Wong, the No. 8 seed in the Men’s tournament, finished in

17th-place after posting a 1-2 record.

Beginning today and running through Sunday, pro beach volleyball

returns to the Rocky Mountains for the first time in a decade with

the AVP Boulder Open.

Wacholder and Youngs have strong ties to Colorado.

After winning the California High School Volleyball Player of Year

award at Laguna Beach, Wacholder went on to attend the University of

Colorado at Boulder. She finished her career with the Buffaloes as

No. 3 in all-time kills (1,484) and fourth in career digs (1,342) and

service aces (145). She was an All-Big 12 Conference first team pick

as a senior in 1996 and previously had been a two-time All-Big Eight

second team selection.

Wacholder is only one of eight players to record 1,000 kills and

1,000 digs at Colorado.

Youngs, who graduated in 1993 from UCLA, currently resides in

Durango, Colo.

Blanton and Wong are the No. 9 seed in Men’s play at the Boulder

Open.