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Talent everywhere at six-man, six-woman tournament
by John Tawa
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Straw Dogs can't block a Las Olas kill attempt in the late stages of the Sunday final. Photo by John Tawa. |
The crazies came out in force for the 45th edition of the six-man, six-woman volleyball tournament Saturday and Sunday at the Manhattan Beach Pier. From the time the Good Stuff men first donned costumes for the tournament 20 years ago, the tournament has become a stage for no-holds barred fun, with the competition for the best get ups matched only by the competition on the courts.
A total of 142 teams joined the madness Saturday morning in pool play to determine those lucky enough to advance to Sunday's elimination rounds. St. Mary's School of the Virgin Dominatrix featured women dressed like Britney Spears in her first video, with tartan miniskirt and white stockings. The Expedior Tennis Team came as female tennis players. The one who came as Monica Seles played with a knife in her back. Women's teams Naughty by Nature, Skin Market and Treasure Chest also played. You can imagine how they were clad.
On the men's side, the Russian Water Polo team donned headgear and goggles to go with slick red Speedo's and cigarettes hanging from their mouths. The WWF team featured some of this nation's most revered professional wrestlers. Team Bare Elegance brought along barely dressed "employees" from the Gentlemen's Club to help cheer on (and undress) them. And Team Guzzel, also known as the Fletch team, came complete with basketball hoop and Afros like in the dream sequence from the movie ("He stands 6'5, with the Afro, 6'9").
With all of the wackiness, some may question was this story appears on the sports page. Was this a legitimate sporting contest?
You bet it was.
Anybody who knows volleyball knows that the six-man, six-woman tournament showcased most of the best volleyball players in the world.
"It's kind of like an old home week," said El Camino head women's volleyball coach LaValley Pattison, who played on techies.com. "You see everybody who ever played volleyball from the 12-year-olds to the 70-year-olds."
"You take the best indoor players from all over the nation, the best outdoor players from all over the nation and pretty much everyone packs their bags and comes to Manhattan Beach," added Las Olas captain Jeff Bellandi.
And come they did. There were present AVP stars, like Dax Holdren, Lee LeGrande, Brent Frohoff and David Swatik, and former heroes, such as Randy Stoklos and Scott Ayakatubby. The BVA and WPVA were also well represented by the likes of Gayle Stammer and Carrie Busch, Linda Chisholm and Rachel Wacholder. Many of the nation's best collegiate players came to play, and past and current national team members were scattered about the beach, including more than a handful who were owners of Olympic Gold.
On the men's side, first-year team Las Olas made it to the final four of the winner's bracket with repeat performers Good Stuff, Monkey Butt and Samurai Sam's Straw Dogs. Las Olas, with Stoklos, Eduardo Garrido, Bellandi and others, then took out Monkey Butt and Straw Dogs and waited while the other teams battled through the loser's bracket.
San Diego Old School, featuring Pat Powers, Aaron Boss and Doug Partee, and Guzzel, with LeGrande, Matt Unger, AVP voice Chris McGee and others, made the most impressive moves through the bracket. Old School took out 1998 champs Bacardi Limon (Scott Fortune, Bob Samuelson) and 1999 winners Pure & Basic (Jason Stimpfig, Aron Generaux).
Guzzel took down the Russian Water Polo Team (Dax Holdren) and Old School as part of their fun-filled eight game run through the loser's bracket, characterized by team songs, group therapy sessions and kick ass volleyball. Guzzel advanced all the way to the loser's bracket final before falling to Straw Dogs and settling for third place.
"We're always right there," noted Guzzel team member Kevin Martin. "The thing is, we like to have fun and have a good time all day long and with the wigs on, it's tough."
In the final, Straw Dogs, a team supposedly without beach rated players, but with creative setter Ty Lum and tall middles Paul Nihipali and Nick Palmer, took the game to Las Olas, forging a 14-9 lead. But Las Olas came back, as they had many times throughout the tournament. They managed to knot the match at 14 apiece and then won a prolonged side out battle to scratch out the 17-15 win.
"When I put the team together, I thought we had a chance to win," Bellandi said. "We had a lot of chiefs on the team, not enough Indians. Somehow, we always found a way to get it done."
"It's bragging rights through the whole year."
The final on the women's side pitted 1999 champion Cotton Cargo and their bevy of BVA pros against the seasoned techies.com, the former Manhattan Pizzeria team that finished second and third, respectively, the past two years.
Cotton Cargo survived the first game with techies.com. Trailing 13-12, Cotton Cargo tied it up on a long point that featured an amazing dig by Wacholder, who fended a blast off with her body. A Carrie Busch ace and techies net violation gave the game to Cotton Cargo, 15-13, and set up a final game to 11 in the double elimination tournament.
Cotton Cargo took a 7-5 lead in the final game on the strength of a Mason block of Wendy Stammer and appeared to be on their way to victory, when techies scored four straight points. Tall middle Dianne DeNecochea was instrumental in the run. She also had the key kill at 9-7 to spur techies to the 11-7 win and their first title in at least five years.
"We have some great players who have played on the pro tour for a long time and came back and all have a ton of experience," Pattison said. "That makes it exciting to play."
"Every position was solid," added BVA pro Gayle Stammer. "We're very tall. We had a big block. It's easier to play defense around a big block."
In the Master's Division, Maui & Sons took the title for the fourth straight year, defeating The Hangar. ER