No sunshine, but women’s team keeps its streak alive

BEIJING -- The U.S. beach volleyball contingent promised to help bring some West Coast-style beach-party fun to the Far East with the sport they invented and popularized.

But playing in a drizzle from the first set and in front of a sparse crowd this morning, the most they could hope for at Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground was a stubborn display by America’s best as Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh defeated Japan’s Mika Teru Saiki and Chiaki Kusuhara, 21-12, 21-15.

After Latvia’s upset of Americans Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser on Saturday night, May-Treanor and Walsh did not mind the lack of style points in the 36-minute match.

“That was a reminder to us that the Olympics is the Olympics,” Walsh said. “Everyone comes to play ball. You have to go out there like you’re playing the No. 1 seed, which is what Misty and I do. But that was a little wake-up call, to be sure.”

Sunday’s victory was the American team’s first match against Japan in over a year, and Walsh and May-Treanor said they were leery of their opponents, regardless of the No. 23 seeding. Indeed, Saiki, with a different partner, defeated the American team of Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson-Jordan in the Sydney Olympics of 2000.

“The Olympics have officially begun now,” Walsh said. “We’re happy with the way we played. Obviously, we want to keep playing better and better, but we’re extremely happy with the result.”

Chaoyang Park’s temporary beach volleyball facility holds 12,000 and tickets sold out in May. But Sunday’s weather no doubt held the attendance down, to about 4,000 for the first match.

“We were quite nervous in the beginning,” Kusuhara said through an interpreter. “We made lots of unforced errors.”

U.S. teams have won three gold medals, two silvers and a bronze at three previous Games since the sport made its Olympic debut. May-Treanor and Walsh, both competing in their third Olympics, are the defending gold medalists and with Sunday’s victory, extended their winning streak to 63 straight matches.

“We never even think about the streak until the media brings it up,” May-Treanor said. “Kerri and I never think about those types of numbers.”