THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 25, 1994 TAG: 9407250139
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Team Sony Autosound won the battles and the war Sunday in capturing the Volley Bowl II championship at 2nd Street - the final stop on the Bud Light Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.
Sony capped a three-game run of must-win games with an action-packed 15-13 thriller that often brought the crowd of nearly 2,000 to its feet.
The first-place finish also earned Sony the overall Grand Prix points title for the 10-stop tour that featured five four-women teams.
Sony put its back against the wall early Sunday by losing to Nike in the ninth game of a 10-game, round-robin qualifying session.
``We sure played a lot better this time than we did that first game against Nike this morning,'' said Kim Oden, a 6-foot-3 former Olympian and national team member who dished out some blistering kills in all three victories.
``We definitely had to work for it, but it was all our own fault. We were careless that first game. We just played so much more aggressively the last three games.''
Team Sony entered the final event with a 32-point lead over Team Paul Mitchell, but gave up its edge during Saturday's round-robin play.
Team Paul Mitchell faced Sony in the semifinal, needing just one victory to capture the overall title. Sony had to win the entire shooting match to gain the championship, and again found itself in a hole early in the semi.
Oden sparked a late 6-0 rally that earned her team a 15-11 victory and the right to play Nike in the title game.
``Kim was really on the last couple of games,'' team captain Tammy Liley said. ``I think having to play three games back-to-back might have helped get us in the groove.''
Nike earned a free ride to the title game by finishing qualifying play with the best record in the field, but didn't play with the same intensity as Sony.
``The kiss of death,'' Nike captain Gabrielle Reece said of the automatic bid to the finals. ``It shouldn't have been, but it was. We didn't take advantage of the fact that they had been out in the heat for a long time.''
Reece - the leading hitter coming into the Beach stop - got her team in the championship with some neatly-placed shots during the earlier victory over Sony.
But Sony was able to combat her style by staying home on defense.
``Gabby has been playing very well all year,'' Liley said.
``But we picked up on what she was doing and were able to get to her shots.''
Meanwhile, Oden was leading her team with some powerful kills.
The 30-year-old Stanford graduate finished with 13 kills - some coming on quick, short sets - and three blocks for winners. ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN/Staff
Kim Oden of Sony Autosound soars for a kill in the championship game
against Nike. Her team grabbed the season title.
by CNB