Stein Metzger Photo: Ken Delgado

Kevin Wong Photo: Ken Delgado

Todd Rogers Photo: Ed Chan

Sean Scott Photo: Ken Delgado

Led by Stein Metzger and Kevin Wong, three teams from the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) earned automatic berths in the $180,000 Main Draw due to FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour ranking. The final two Qualification Tournament rounds and playoffs will be played Wednesday with the Main Draw for the 2001 men's season finale starts Thursday on Camburi Beach.

The event will be the 16th men's event on the international beach volleyball circuit and the 30th overall in 2001 as the women's FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour ended earlier this month. World Champions Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil defeated Holly McPeak and Kerri Walsh of the United States for the women's Gold Medal November 4 in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Seeded eighth in the 16-team Qualification Tournament, Heath (Delray Beach, Fla.) and Macau (Miami, Fla.) dropped a 25-23 and 21-15) decision in 41 minutes to ninth-seeded Dagoberto Dultra Jr. and Paulo Emilio Silva of Brazil. The Brazilians joined a team from Austria to advance to the Main Draw from Tuesday's play.

To advance to the Main Draw from the double-elimination Qualification Tournament, Heath and Macau must defeat two teams from Brazil. Heath and Macau play 16th-seeded Celso Brunholi and Luiz Dulinski in their first match Thursday with the winner playing sixth-seeded Thomas Klepper and Murilo Teixira.

Heath and Macau are trying to advance from a Qualification Tournament to the Main Draw of an "open" FIVB event for the first time this season. The pair placed second in a FIVB challenger in Greece in July where they were defeated in the finals by Klepper and Teixira, who also won 2001 challenger events in the Ukraine and Switzerland.

Joining Metzger (Honolulu, Hi.) and Wong (Pearl City, Hi.) in the Main Draw for the United States are Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara)/Sean Scott (Kaliua, Hi.) and Dain Blanton (Laguna Beach, Calif.)/Chip McCaw (Tulsa, Okla.). Metzger and Wong have won three titles this season along with capturing a Bronze Medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia in September. The teams of Rogers/Scott and Blanton/McCaw will be playing in their first pro beach event together.

Rogers teamed with Dax Holdren in 2001 to finish as the No. 1-ranked team on the AVP Tour. Blanton and McCaw are 2001 Sydney Olympians for the United States. Blanton won the beach volleyball Gold Medal with Eric Fonoimoana while McCaw competed on the United States Indoor Team. McCaw, who is completing his first pro beach season, placed fourth at the 2001 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Austria with Rob Heidger.

The Main Draw in the $180,000 event ends Sunday (December 2) with the winning team sharing the $27,000 first-place prize on Camburi Beach. The team of Matthew Heath (Delray Beach, Fla.) and Gaston Macau (Miami, Fla.) will compete in a two-day Qualification Tournament starting Tuesday seeking a fourth spot for the United States in the Main Draw.

Entering the men's international season finale, the Brazilian tandem of Tande Ramos and Emanuel Rego have claimed the season's point's title with 3,298 points. Tande, a Gold Medallist at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games as outside hitter of the dynamic Brazilian volleyball team, and Emanuel are competing together for the first time this season. The pair captured FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour events in the Canary Islands, Norway, Belgium and Mallorca (Spain) this season.

Metzger and Wong, who claimed a FIVB title in Switzerland in June, are ranked fifth internationally with 1,896 points. World Champions Mariano Baracetti and Martin Conde of Argentina are second with 2,894 points followed by the Laciga (Martin and Paul) of Switzerland (2,766) and Jose Loiola and Ricardo Santos of Brazil (2,260).

In addition to winning the world championships in Austria, Baracetti and Conde claimed international titles in Italy and France. Loiola, who was born in Vitoria, and Ricardo claimed the Gold Medal at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia where they defeated Baracetti and Conde in the finale. Metzger and Wong won the Bronze Medal in Brisbane for the United States.

FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour
Men's Brazil Open 2001 on Camburi Beach at Vitoria
November 27-December 2, 2001

Qualification Tournament Results, November 27

First-Round
o Jefferson Bellaguarda/Paulão Moreira, Brazil (No. 1-seeded Main Draw Team) def. Celso Brunholi/Luiz Dulinski, Brazil (16), 21-18 and 21-10 (38 minutes);
o Dagoberto Dultra Jr./Paulo Emilio Silva, Brazil (9) def. Matthew Heath/Gaston Macau, United States (8), 25-21 and 21-15 (41);
o Kaarel Kais/Kristjan Kais, Estonia (5) def. James Gravelle/Brian Hiebert, Canada (12), 21-18 and 21-18 (41);
o Peter Gartmayer/Robert Nowotny, Austria (4) def. Malte Homeyer/Drazan Slacanin Germany (13), 21-18 and 21-16 (32);
o Eduardo Bacil/Pedro Brazão, Brazil (14) def. Maurizio Pimponi/Andrea Raffaelli, Italy (3), 21-15 and 21-12 (39);
o Thomas Klepper/Murilo Teixira, Brazil (6) def. Pavlos Beligratis/Thanassis Michalopoulos, Greece (11), 21-8 and 21-15 (30);
o Luizão Correa/Harley Silva, Brazil (7) def. Ahren Cadieux/Everett Matthews, Canada (10), 21-18 and 21-13 (38);
o Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, Brazil (2) def. Alain Arseneau/Anton Hauser, Canada (15), 29-27 and 21-17 (45).

Second-Round
o Dultra Jr./Paulo Emilio, Brazil (9) def. Bellaguarda/Paulão, Brazil (1), 21-14, 18-21 and 15-7 (55);
o Gartmayer/Nowotny, Austria (4) def. Kaarel Kais/Kristjan Kais, Estonia (5), 17-21, 22-20 and 19-17 (47);
o Bacil/Brazão, Brazil (14) def. Klepper/Murilo, Brazil (6), 21-17, 19-21 and 15-13 (64);
o Luizão/Harley, Brazil (7) def. Marcio Araujo/Benjamin, Brazil (2), 19-21, 21-12 and 16-14 (56)..

Qualification Tournament Schedule, November 28

Third-Round (losers eliminated, place 37th)
o Cadieux/Matthews, Canada (10) vs. Arseneau/Hauser, Canada (15);
o Pimponi/Raffaelli, Italy (3) vs. Beligratis/Michalopoulos, Greece (11);
o Gravelle/Hiebert, Canada (12) vs. Homeyer/Slacanin Germany (13);
o Brunholi/ Dulinski, Brazil (16) vs. Heath/Macau, United States (8).

Fourth-Round (losers eliminated, place 33rd)
o Cadieux/Matthews, Canada (10) / Arseneau/Hauser, Canada (15) winner vs. Kaarel Kais/Kristjan Kais, Estonia (5);
o Pimponi/Raffaelli, Italy (3) / Beligratis/Michalopoulos, Greece (11) winner vs. Bellaguarda/Paulão, Brazil (1);
o Gravelle/Hiebert, Canada (12) / Homeyer/Slacanin Germany (13) winner vs. Marcio Araujo/Benjamin, Brazil (2);
o Brunholi/ Dulinski, Brazil (16) / Heath/Macau, United States (8) winner vs. Klepper/Murilo, Brazil (6).

Main Draw Entries (Qualification Tournament Seed)
o Tande Ramos/Emanuel Rego, Brazil
o Jose Loiola/Ricardo Santos, Brazil
o Mariano Baracetti/Martin Conde, Argentina
o Stein Metzger/Kevin Wong, United States
o Martin Laciga/Paul Laciga, Switzerland
o Vegard Hoidalen/Jorre Kjemperud, Norway
o Dain Blanton/Chip McCaw, United States
o Roberto Lopes/Franco Neto, Brazil
o Zé Marco de Melo/Pará Ferreira, Brazil
o Markus Dieckmann/Jonas Reckermann, Germany
o Patrick Heuscher/Stefan Kobel, Switzerland
o Julien Prosser/Lee Zahner, Australia
o Dagoberto Dultra Jr./Paulo Emilio Silva, Brazil (9)
o Javier Bosma/Antonio Cotrino, Spain
o Bjorn Berg/Simon Dahl, Sweden
o Agustin Correa/Fabio Diez, Spain
o Joao Brenha/Luis Maia, Portugal
o Stepane Canet/Mathieu Hamel, France
o Markus Egger/Sascha Heyer, Switzerland
o Eugenio Amore/Ricardo Lione, Italy
o Conrad Leinemann/Jamie Mackay, Canada
o Iver Horrem/Bjorn Maaseide, Norway
o Djordje Ljubicic/Mike Slean, Canada
o Peter Gartmayer/Robert Nowotny, Austria (4)
o Todd Rogers/Sean Scott, United States
o David Klemperer/Niklas Rademacher, Germany

Qualification Tournament Seedings
1. Jefferson Bellaguarda.Paulão Moreira, Brazil
2. Marcio Araujo/Benjamin Insfran, Brazil
3. Maurizio Pimponi/Andrea Raffaelli, Italy
4. Peter Gartmayer/Robert Nowotny, Austria
5. Kaarel Kais/Kristjan Kais, Estonia
6. Thomas Klepper/Murilo Teixira, Brazil
7. Luizão Correa/Harley Silva, Brazil
8. Matthew Heath/Gaston Macau, United States
9. Dagoberto Dultra Jr./Paulo Emilio Silva, Brazil
10. Ahren Cadieux/Everett Matthews, Canada
11. Pavlos Beligratis/Thanassis Michalopoulos, Greece
12. James Gravelle/Brian Hiebert, Canada
13. Malte Homeyer/Drazan Slacanin Germany
14. Eduardo Bacil/Pedro Brazão, Brazil
15. Alain Arseneau/Anton Hauser, Canada
16. Celso Brunholi/Luiz Dulinski, Brazil

~Tim Simmons