These Brazilians Find Chemistry Is More Important Than Seeding

According to the seeding, the winners’ bracket final of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals’ tournament at Hermosa Beach today should be a United States-Brazil matchup.

It is, but it’s not the players the Miller Lite/AVP Tour envisioned.

Top-seeded Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson are one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the double-elimination $50,000 Miller Lite U.S. Championships. However, Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego, the No. 2-seeded team, are not, as they were defeated by fellow Brazilians Franco Neto and Roberto Lopes in the quarterfinals, 15-9.

In a back-and-forth match, Lopes and Neto, seeded seventh, jumped to 3-0 lead, gave up the lead at 5-4, then scored nine of the final 12 points for the victory.

Lopes, who has been partners with Neto for 11 years, credited their success to rediscovered chemistry.

“In Brazil, we got worn out together,” said Lopes, who, along with Neto, is in his first season on the AVP Tour. “We’ve found the teamwork we used to have.”

That teamwork was never more evident than in their semifinal match against Kent Steffes and Mike Whitmarsh.

Lopes and Neto again used a fast start, going up 4-0. They maintained the lead throughout regulation. However, as the nine minutes of match time expired, Steffes made a dig, then put away the kill to close to 13-12. Since a team must win by two, the match went to overtime.

Lopes acknowledged that he wasn’t sure if his team had enough energy left in overtime.

“My legs were tired after the long rally,” Lopes said.

That rally was a 12-second exchange, a marathon by volleyball standards, at 13-10 that ended with a Neto kill.

In overtime, Steffes and Whitmarsh took the lead at 14-13. But Lopes and Neto scored the final three points for the victory.

Their opponents in today’s winners’ bracket final were no strangers to tight matches Saturday, either.

Kiraly and Johnson, coming off consecutive victories at Milwuakee and Atlanta, began their day with a quarterfinal match against No. 8 Canyon Ceman and Mark Kerins.

Trailing, 10-6, the defending U.S. champions battled back to tie the match, 11-11, before winning, 13-11. In overtime, Kiraly’s defense was the difference, as his spectacular one-armed dig set up point 12, and his block ended the match.

The semifinal was just as close for Kiraly and Johnson.

Facing the No. 5-seeded team of Brian Lewis and David Swatik, Kiraly and Johnson hung on for a 13-11 victory as time expired.

Kiraly expected a close match going in.

“There are about five teams out here that think they can win every week, “ the three-time Olympic gold medalist said. “[Lewis and Swatik] made good plays, I made mistakes and we didn’t capitalize on some of our opportunities.”

Those mistakes, and Lewis and Swatik’s serving, allowed them back into a match that Kiraly and Johnson led, 11-3, at one point.

“You have to concentrate on their jump serve when you’re out there,” Johnson said. “They played great that last part.”

Lewis and Swatik had five aces. With 7.6 seconds remaining, Swatik’s ace brought them to within two at 13-11. However, the next serve went long, and time ran out before they could close to within one.

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The Facts

* WHAT: $50,000 Assn. of Volleyball Professionals U.S. Championships.

* WHEN: Today, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (six matches, championship at 3 p.m.).

* WHERE: Hermosa Beach Pier.

* PRICE: General admission, free; reserved end-zone seating, $20; reserved sideline seating, $25.