GARY HIGGINS/The Patriot Ledger

Stacy Rouwenhorst puts ball beyond the reach of Jenny Johnson Jordan during the AVP Crocs Tour Boston Open at Marina Bay on Friday, Aug. 17.

May-Treanor,
Walsh soar

By NATE CROSSMAN
For The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY - After signing an autograph for every fan who wanted one with a smile on her face yesterday at Marina Bay, Misty May-Treanor insisted that she and teammate Kerri Walsh are still exhausted from their ambitious recent tournament schedule.

But even an exhausted May-Treanor and Walsh are tough to beat.

The No. 1 team on the AVP Crocs Tour won both their matches in yesterday’s Boston Open to advance to today’s winner’s bracket quarterfinal round against No. 4 seed Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder. No. 3 Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan or No. 6 Dianne DeNecochea and Barbra Fontana will play No. 2 Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs in the other winner’s bracket quarterfinal, with those winners facing teams from the loser’s bracket. The final is scheduled for noon on Sunday.

May-Treanor and Walsh have not had a weekend off since May. They’ve won 14 AVP tournaments in 15 weeks and the FIVB World Championships in Gstaad, Switzerland, last month.

“After our first two trips to Europe I felt fine,” May-Treanor said.

“But I think all the travel finally caught up to with me last week (at the AVP Manhattan Beach Open). My legs felt like they were bolted to the ground.”

Although May-Treanor and Walsh’s domestic schedule is similar to other players on tour, their international one is not. A majority of that has to do with the fact that qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing began in January, and May-Treanor and Walsh, who won a gold medal in 2004, are trying to qualify before next summer, when there’s more pressure. The only way to earn qualifying points is to play in FIVB-sanctioned events, all of which take place outside the AVP.

“It’s pretty exhausting,” May-Treanor said. “You have that Olympic mentality (when you’re abroad) and then the next week you have another (AVP) tournament. You’re in competition mode 24/7.”

May-Treanor and Walsh advanced to the quarterfinals with a straight-set win over Katie and Tracy Lindquist, but their first win over Keao Burdine and Brittany Hochevar lasted an uncharacteristic three sets. Branagh and Youngs, who had a T-shirt-wearing cheering section comprised of Branagh’s friends and family, also won in three sets over Carrie Dodd and Tatiana Minello, setting up a potential rematch of last week’s final.

Branagh and Youngs have come close to breaking through a few times this season. They won the Seaside Heights (N.J.) Open, although it was a hollow win in a way because May-Treanor and Walsh did not participate. They finished second three times and third twice.

A big reason for their success has been their chemistry. While Branagh, 28, won the AVP’s Most Improved Player award last year, the 37-year-old Youngs is a savvy veteran who’s won 37 times and earned over $1 million in her career.

“(Chemistry) is very important, because we’re a two-person team,” Branagh said. “She has so much veteran knowledge and I’m very fortunate to be partnered with her. And we’re friends, which helps. We have our moments, but overall we have a good relationship.

“She makes me play better, because that’s how she plays. She wants to be the best. I still have a lot to learn, but that’s exciting.”