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NEXT UP - Atlanta, Georgia

June 3, 2007

Tour heads up the coast to Atlanta
Georgia capital playing host to AVP for sixth time
By Mike Scarr / AVP.com

TAMPA, Fla. — The AVP Crocs Tour will remain in the southeast for another
week, taking the beach volleyball road show northward a bit for the Atlanta
Open.

This will be the sixth installment of a tournament that has been won four
times by Karch Kiraly. That was in the 1990s, when he paired twice with Kent
Steffes to win and also earned victories with Scott Ayakatubby and Adam
Johnson.

Atlanta is also where Kiraly won his 1996 Olympic Gold Medal.

Last year, Mike Lambert and Stein Metzger emerged with the title on the
men's side, while Elaine Youngs and Rachel Wacholder upended Misty
May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in the women's draw. Atlanta also hosted a
women's tournament in 1994, when Nancy Reno and Angela Rock won.

The 2007 season is Kiraly's last on tour, and he's playing a limited
schedule but he's slated to appear in Atlanta. While his last victory was
two years ago in Huntington Beach, the 46-year-old still has a few cards to
play.

With partner Kevin Wong, Kiraly was within a victory of securing his 149th
career title but ultimately fell short, as Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb
pulled out the 21-18, 21-17 win in the AVP Esurance Tampa Open men's final.

It was the sixth final appearance in seven events this season for
Rosenthal-Gibb, but their first title.

"It feels great and I'm glad we broke through," Rosenthal said. "Jake and I
are trying to get here every week and to finally break through and get one
is special."

The two had flown directly from Louisville to Tampa to work with coach Mike
Dodd in lieu of going to California for the intervening time. It paid off as
they emerged with the win, surviving a loss on Friday that sent them into
the contender's bracket.

Gibb gave all the credit to his partner.

"I wasn't blocking balls all weekend," Gibb said. "I was a big, stupid goof
up there, and he just carried me."

The train kept on rolling on the women's side as Youngs and partner Nicole
Branagh were the latest to try and slow down the considerable momentum
generated by May-Treanor and Walsh.

While Sunday's final was spirited at times, May-Treanor and Walsh were
simply better in pulling off the 21-19, 21-15 victory.

It was the 75th overall title for May-Treanor, tying her with Dodd for fifth
place in career victories. Walsh notched her 72nd tournament victory, tying
her with Holly McPeak for the second most titles on the women's side.

"Misty and I both have so much respect for Holly McPeak. She set the
standard so high," Walsh said. "It's an honor to be chasing her and be with
her right now. It's very special and very humbling."

A team looking to regroup is Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser.

The No. 1 duo on the men's side rolled into Tampa, winners of five of six
events, but they lost an early match Saturday to fall into the contender's
bracket for the first time this year. They were subsequently upended in the
semifinals by Kiraly and Wong.

But players on the men's side still consider Rogers and Dalhausser the team
to beat.

"Somebody usually is going to have beat that team," Kiraly said, who called
them "a great, great team and the dominant team on the tour this year."

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