Olympics: USA splits beach volleyball decisions Tuesday in Athens

Top-seeded Misty May and Kerri Walsh continued their winning ways on the international women's scene here Tuesday as the United States split of matches at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Complex in Athens, Greece.

The 2003 women's FIVB World champions, May and Walsh scored a 21-11 and 21-13 win in 33 minutes over Rebekka Kadijk and Marrit Leenstra of the Netherlands for their second pool play win in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

The win came after Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger "blew" an opportunity to clinch a spot in the 16-team elimination bracket by losing 14-21, 21-15 and 16-14 to Iver Horrem and Bjorn Maaseide of Norway in 61 minutes.

"We blew it," said Metzger after the match. "We had a lot of opportunities. We just couldn't finish the second and third sets. There is nothing we are going to change for our third pool match against the Brazilians (Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos). To win at this level, you must be able to close out a match."

While May and Walsh play Eva Celbova and Sona Novakova Thursday at 9 p.m. in a match featuring two teams with 2-0 Pool A records, Holdren and Metzger challenge the top-seeded Emanuel and Ricardo at 8 a.m.

May and Walsh have now won 47 of their last 49 international matches with the two setbacks being forfeit decisions in Germany at the end of June when May decided not to continue in the SWATCH-FIVB World Tour event due to her lingering abdominal strain problems.

The two men's teams will be meeting for the fourth-time as the Brazilians lead the series 2-1, including a win last October in the gold medal match at the 2003 FIVB World Championships in Rio de Janeiro where May and Walsh won the women's title.

The United States will have two teams playing Wednesday as Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs seek to advance to the 16-team elimination bracket as the fourth-seeded team as they play Nicole Schnyder and Simone Kuhn of Switzerland at 8 p.m.

Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard, who suffered their second defeat of the men's competition Monday by losing to John Child and Mark Heese of Canada, will probably end their Athens 2004 Olympic Games schedule Wednesday against fifth-seeded Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel of Switzerland at 12 p.m.

The only way Blanton and Nygaard can advance from their pool is by defeating the Swiss and then hoping either Julien Prosser/Mark Williams or Child/Heese forfeit their 2:30 p.m. match Wednesday. Blanton won the Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medal with Eric Fonoimoana.

For more information on Olympic Beach Volleyball, go to the USA Volleyball web site or the FIVB web site.