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**truebluefan** · 05-05-2008, 05:03 PM

Hermosa Beach Pier

**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:10 PM

While the AVP crews put the finishing touches on the stadium court and vendor village for the 2008 AVP Crocs Tour Hermosa Beach Open presented by Bud Light, competition during the qualifier tournament was off and running on Thursday.

"All of our hard work and time on the beach pays off, so getting into the main draw is a great sense of accomplishment," said an out-of-breath Jonathan Acosta after his team won their final point of the day. "We played well enough to win, but we know there are still plays that we are going to get better at and fine tune as we get more repetitions. Today wasn't beautiful or pretty, but on the beach, you do whatever it takes to get the win."

Acosta and his cousin Joaquin Acosta -- who were the No. 6 seeded team in the qualifier tournament -- were one of the eight men's teams to advance to the main draw, which will begin play at 8 a.m. Friday morning.

Teams who qualified today will deservedly catch their breath tonight, but main draw competition will not be any easier than playing in the three-round single elimination format of the qualifier tournament.

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**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:10 PM

Hard work and training can get you only so far on the AVP Crocs Tour. For a pair of teams participating in the qualifier tournament at the 2008 AVP Crocs Tour Hermosa Beach Open presented by Bud Light, being able to partner up with someone who is trustworthy and close to home can also be an advantage.

"It's a really fun experience, because I feel like when I play with my sister, we have this special chemistry and just know what to do," said Lara Dykstra, 15, who is playing in her second AVP qualifier tournament with her older sister Devon, 17. "Something clicks better, where we know where to set each other, and we also don't get mad a lot. So it's nice."

"We just come out to have fun and not necessarily to win," said Devon. "It's definitely a bonding experience, as not everyone gets to play with their relatives."

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**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:11 PM

Twenty-three years ago in Manhattan Beach when Eric 'The Body' Fonoimoana was in high school, he got his first up close and personal experience of being part of the AVP Tour.

"I remember as a kid I used to set up the nets at the Manhattan Open and if Randy Stoklos, Sinjin Smith, Tim Hovland or Mike Dodd said the nets were low, I was one of the crew guys and would come down to make the net eight feet," said Fonoimoana, who officially announces his retirement from beach volleyball this weekend at the AVP Hermosa Beach Open. "That's where I started as I just wanted to be part of the whole scene down at the beach. I was part of the show."

While this was his first official participation in an AVP event, Fonoimoana became a fixture on the Southern California beach scene long before he was part of the show.

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**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:12 PM

As most beach volleyball fans know, Hermosa Beach is the place to be to catch some exciting matches. Speaking of exciting matches, the women's final is about to start in a couple hours. While perusing the media notes looking for insight on what to expect, I came across some interesting facts about this historical tournament. This year, 89 men's teams and 79 women's teams will battle for the chance to appear in the finals. Here's some more info worth sharing:

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**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:13 PM

After back-to-back days of a whirlwind schedule of playing three matches a day and finishing by mid-afternoon, No. 1 seed Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor came home to the Southern California sands of Hermosa Beach and finished as champions over No. 3 seed Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, 21-16 and 21-14, in 44 minutes.

"That team is really good, and balls that go down against other teams don't go down against that team," said Davis, who faced Walsh and May-Treanor for the fourth time in a final this season. "There are things we could have sharpened up, but we missed too many serves that were free points for them."

At the beginning of game one, there were not any free points for either team, as Jordan and Davis opened up the game with a slight lead that grew to as many as three points at 7-4.

"I thought we played well and missed some opportunities to score points when we should have, but still thought we played well," said Johnson Jordan. "They played better."

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**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:14 PM

Good things come in threes, and if you are No. 1 seed Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, good things come in the form of their third consecutive AVP Hermosa Beach Open title after defeating No. 2 seed Casey Jennings and Matt Fuerbringer 21-14 and 25-23.

"I thought we played pretty good in general," said Rogers. "For me it is so much more fun to play defense in deep sand as I feel like I can dig almost every ball whereas on courts that are not deep, guys are jumping so high, hitting crazy angles and it's hard to play defense in that. Out here you have to be able to pass, set and move the ball around."

Game one started out with both teams trading points that resulted in six tied scores, but after a service error and a kill into the tape by Jennings, Dalhausser and Rogers used their strengths in the sand to start building a lead.

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**truebluefan** · 06-09-2008, 01:15 PM

While watching Misty May-Treanor play beach volleyball with partner Kerri Walsh, it seems like there is nothing she can't do in the sand. After May-Treanor returned to the sand on Sunday -- her day off after winning the 2008 AVP Hermosa Beach Open -- she proved once and for all that she has all of the right moves.

"I got to dance with the Beach Girlz and it was so fun!" said May-Treanor of her dancing debut.

During the time out at the 28th point of the first game during the men's final, May-Treanor made her debut with the Beach Girlz to T-Pain's song Apple Bottom Jeans in the sand.

"I learned the dance yesterday with a DVD they gave me and it was fun," said May-Treanor. "I haven't danced since I was 11, so it was a lot of fun to get back in the routine and do something with the crowd outside of volleyball. The girls are fantastic and are really nice, genuine people who made it easy."

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