LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- AVP Crocs Tour, and rest of the world take notice, Kerri Walsh's right shoulder is fine. Walsh, one half of the world's best women's beach volleyball team, proved that this holiday weekend in the AVP Crocs stop in Louisville.
Monday afternoon Walsh and partner Misty May-Treanor, the tournament's top seed, beat No. 2 seed Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan 21-14, 21-11 in the women's final. It was the fourth tournament title of the season for May-Treanor and Walsh in the latter's first action since sitting out to rest her surgically repaired shoulder.
"It was three weeks, and I was dying to play," Walsh said. "Misty's been so supportive and such a great partner. "But it was good to come out and show everybody that my shoulder was fine. It was okay, though, we didn't lose anything because of it and we became a better team because of it. It's getting better and better, so watch out world."
While the Olympics are still a few months away, Walsh and May-Treanor proved to the rest of the AVP Crocs Tour that they are just fine. The duo was pushed to three games by No. 5 seed Carrie Dodd and Tatiana Minello late Saturday night, but they bounced back to win both of their Monday matches in two games each -- not allowing more than 15 points in any one -- despite not getting much rest.
"I told my husband, 'I feel like a Major League Baseball player,'" said May-Treanor, who is married to Florida Marlins catcher Matt Treanor. "Our game got over so late last night ... then we ordered pizza that came about 12:30 [a.m.], then went to bed at 2 [a.m.] and woke up at 10."
In the final, Walsh had 13 kills in 19 attempts (a 63.2 hitting percentage) to go along with nine digs and four blocks.
"I haven't been worried [about Walsh's shoulder]," said May-Treanor, who had nine kills and 11 digs. "I just want her to be strong...Sometimes I had to be a little harder on her and say, 'No, you have to stop.'"
But there was no stopping Walsh and May-Treanor in the final.
In the first game, Walsh had seven kills and four digs while May-Treanor had four kills, four digs and an ace.
In the second game, the top seeds broke out to a 9-4 lead and never looked back. They continued to do it with defense as May-Treanor had seven digs and Walsh five in the game.
"When you play against them, it's never going to be an easy game, Jenny and Nety could come back in a heart beat," Walsh said.
Davis finished the match with 10 kills, six digs and three blocks, while Johnson Jordan had six kills, five digs, but had five service errors.
Afterward, Walsh was all smiles.
"The shoulder right now is the least of my worries, I kind of tweaked my back [in the first match of the tournament], I guess I'm just getting old," joked the 29-year-old.
Then she added that she was looking forward to coming back to Louisville. "Let's go 3-for-3 next year, I love it," Walsh said.
In the semifinals: The 5-foot-6 Lindquist sisters, Katie and Tracy, who were making their first ever AVP semifinals appearance, were no match for the 6-foot-3 Walsh and the 5-foot-9 May-Treanor at the net. The top seeds defeated the No. 8 seeds 21-9, 21-15 to improve to 17-0 all-time against the sister act.
May-Treanor had 17 kills, 11 digs and three blocks in the win, while Walsh had 12 kills, 13 digs and four blocks. Katie Lindquist had 12 kills and four digs while Tracy Lindquist had 11 kills and eight digs.
Meanwhile, Davis and Johnson Jordan had to go three games to beat the No. 5 seeds Dodd and Minello 21-15, 17-21, 15-12. Davis and Johnson Jordan improved to 5-1 all-time against Dodd and Minello, but three of the last four have gone three games.
Johnson Jordan had 24 kills and 10 digs in the win, while Davis had 11 kills, six digs and five aces. Dodd had 28 kills and seven digs in a losing effort.
In the contender's bracket: The eighth-seeded Lindquist sisters knocked off the No. 6 seeds Ashley Ivy and Heather Lowe 23-21, 21-14 in the fourth round, while Dodd and Minello beat the ninth seeds Michelle More and Suzanne Stonebarger 21-14, 21-12.
The AVP Crocs Tour heads to Atlanta this coming weekend.

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