Kiraly Still Might Enjoy Day in Sun

They lost to a most unusual team, consisting of a substitute teacher and a native of St. Paul, Minn., a city better known as a hockey haven than a beach volleyball hotbed.

But Karch Kiraly and partner Adam Johnson won their next two matches Saturday and advanced to the quarterfinals of the AVP Hermosa Beach Open, keeping alive Kiraly’s hopes of setting a record for career beach volleyball championships.

Kiraly, 38, is seeking to win his 140th title, breaking a tie with former partner Sinjin Smith, but it won’t be easy thanks to a gritty performance by Lee LeGrande and Brent Doble.

The duo, seeded No. 9, won a lengthy third-round match, 19-17, that put Kiraly-Johnson in early trouble in the double-elimination tournament.

For LeGrande, a former Pepperdine standout who teaches part-time at a grade school, the victory was redemption for several losses to Kiraly in recent years.

“Believe me, I’m cheering for him more than anyone,” LeGrande said. “But not when he’s in my bracket.”

For Kiraly and Johnson, it meant their backs were against the net.

“This is definitely a harder route to win, but it can be done,” Kiraly said. “We’re just trying to play our way back through.”

Kiraly-Johnson had little trouble winning their next two matches and will play Dax Holdren-Todd Rodgers in a quarterfinal today.

The second-seeded team of Jose Loiola-Emanuel Rego and the fourth-seeded team of Mike Whitmarsh-David Swatik have already clinched berths in a semifinal match.

Top-seeded Lisa Arce and Barbra Fontana breezed through their competition and clinched a spot in the semifinals.

The second-seeded team of Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs has also advanced to the semifinals.