THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 23, 1994 TAG: 9407230340
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
The best female volleyball players in the country are here for the final segment of the Bud Light Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.
Volley Bowl II will decide the five-team tour's overall championship, with Team Sony leading team Paul Mitchell by 32 points.
Beginning at 10 a.m. today at Sixth Street and the Oceanfront, teams will play 10 rounds of pool play, followed by single-elimination semifinals and final matches. Following pool play, the team with the best record advances automatically to the championship. The second- and third-place teams face off for the right to compete in the title game.
Sunday's competition begins at 9 a.m., with the championship scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Winning teams must score at least 15, with a two-point winning margin.
Last summer was the inaugural Virginia Beach stop for the tour, with organizers so impressed with the spectator response that they decided to hold the final stop here this year.
``Everybody was very happy with the crowds last year,'' said Laura Christine of C.E. Sports, the tour's organizing body. ``And it should be a great weekend with the overall title up for grabs.''
Part of the appeal of the tour is that each team plays four on a side, instead of the usual two-man game associated with beach volleyball.
``Volleys are longer,'' Christine said, ``and that makes it much more fun for the fans.''
Several of this weekend's players will be leaving Sunday evening for Russia to compete in the Goodwill Games.
Jeanne Reeves, captain of Team Champion, is the national team coach. Team Sony captain Tammy Liley is the U.S. team's captain. Team Forester captain Kristin Klein is also a national team player.
In round-robin play, Team Paul Mitchell has a 22-12 record, followed by Sony and Team Nike at 19-15. In championship play, Sony leads with a 6-4 record, followed by Paul Mitchell at 4-4. by CNB