Kiraly and Johnson Return in a Big Way

It was a first for everyone involved in the final of the $300,000 Miller Lite U.S Championships in Hermosa Beach on Sunday. For winners Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson, it marked the first tournament title this season. Their opponents, Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers, are rookies on the Miller Lite Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour who had never made it to a final.

The veterans prevailed easily with a 15-4 victory that featured numerous errors by the rookies in an event that doubles as the third of four qualifiers for the World Championships of Beach Volleyball in September.

“We were a little bit nervous in the beginning,” Holdren said. “It’s kind of a circus out there with so many people watching so it took a little while to focus.”

But sixth-seeded Kiraly and Johnson blasted No. 10 Holdren-Rogers from the start, never allowing the slightest chance of a comeback. Kiraly was spectacular at the net with an array of blocks, five of them for points.

That, combined with Johnson’s lethal jump serve, clearly overwhelmed the rookies. For Kiraly and Johnson, finally playing up to their potential was exciting since each suffered preseason injuries that forced slow and trying comebacks.

“It feels awesome to be back in the winners’ circle,” said Kiraly, who had shoulder surgery and missed the first seven tournaments of 1997. Kiraly has won 127 titles and a record seven U.S. Championships in Hermosa.

Holdren and Rogers, who have an 0-5 record against Kiraly-Johnson, said they could feel Kiraly’s intensity.

“I’ve never seen Karch get up like that,” Holdren said. “He had a little extra for us and he took it to us.”

Rogers said the shoulder was not a factor even though Kiraly’s serving isn’t quite up to par.

“He realized he was in the final and he was going to push the shoulder as far as it would go and . . . it’s pretty solid,” he said.

Holdren and Rogers will take home their biggest paycheck, $17,100, and Kiraly-Johnson will split $60,000.

Fifth-seeded Dain Blanton and Canyon Ceman will split $27,090 for placing third, and third-seeded Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh will split $21,390 for fourth.