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August 22, 2004 10:33 pm

All-American semifinal has beach teams set for battle

By DAVID LEON MOORE

USA TODAY

ATHENS, Greece — Well, the third time was the charm, as three-time beach volleyball Olympian Holly McPeak finally got out of the quarterfinals.

Now, she'll find out if the 14th time is the charm.

In a highly anticipated all-American semifinal Monday, McPeak and Elaine Youngs will try to find a way to beat No. 1-ranked Misty May and Kerri Walsh, who have won the last 13 times these four players got sand between their toes on the same court.

McPeak, 35, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., went into the Atlanta Olympics (with Nancy Reno) and the Sydney Olympics (with May) as the favorite, and finished fifth both times.

This time, she's the underdog.

"I "like" being the underdog," McPeak said after she and Youngs took care of Germans Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau 21-17, 21-17 in Sunday's quarterfinals.

"We have nothing to lose. Sometimes when you go out there like that, there's less pressure on you, and you can be aggressive and knock them off."

Walsh, 26, of Saratoga, Calif., and May, 27, of Costa Mesa, Calif., are 5-0 and haven't dropped a set in Athens after a sometimes-lackluster 21-19, 21-14 quarterfinal win against Canada's Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin.

Until May's strained abdominal muscle earlier this summer halted their momentum and caused May to miss some tournaments, she and Walsh had owned the sport for a year, winning 15 consecutive tournaments and 90 consecutive matches.

McPeak and Youngs haven't beaten them since September 2002, and they haven't even taken a set from them in 10 of their last 11 matches.

That won't matter when the four players take the court Monday, May said. "It's zero-zero," May said. "The 13 in a row really don't matter at this point."

Said Walsh: "I'm going to be thinking win, win, win, and nothing but. Whatever they're thinking, I don't care."

McPeak is a sentimental favorite in some corners because of her long career and Olympic disappointments.

But there are medals on the line, and May said, "Everybody's had hard luck. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. We've all worked hard, and we all have goals."

Whoever loses will play once again — for a bronze medal.

"This feels good, and I'm sure it feels great for Holly," said Youngs, 34, of El Toro, Calif. "What would make her even happier is a medal hanging around her neck."

Any medal?

"This is my third Olympics, and I don't have any medal yet," McPeak said. "At this point, I'll settle for anything."

Meanwhile, the U.S. men's streak of gold medals ended at two. After winning in Atlanta and Sydney, the Americans didn't get out of the quarterfinals in Athens.

Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger lost to Switzerland's Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel 21-16, 21-19.

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