EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. - Holly McPeak duplicated her efforts for the second-straight season as she was honored as 1996 Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour's top player and defender.
The post-season honors were announced in conjunction with the $75,000 Best of the Beach III, the 15th and final event on the 1996 Evian Tour.
McPeak and Lisa Arce captured the Best of the Beach III title at the 12-team this past weekend (Sept. 13-15) by defeating top-seeded Barbra Fontana Harris and Linda Hanley 15-7 in the finals from Lihue, Kaua'i, Hi.
All active members of the Women's Professional Volleyball Association voted for the nine awards, including most valuable, most improved, best setter, best hitter, best blocker, best defender, most inspirational, sportswomanship and rookie-of-the- year.
Krista Blomquist was selected as the most improved, Karolyn Kirby the best setter, 40-year old Dennie Shupryt-Knoop the most inspirational, Elaine Roque the top sportswoman, Linda Hanley the top hitter/offensive player, Nancy Reno the best blocker and Lynda Johnson the rookie-of-the-year.
Angela Rock won the "Silver Bullet" ace competition, the only season-ending award determined on the sand. The Coors Light Brand at the Coors Brewing Company contributed $10,000 to the bonus pool with the top three servers earning additional dollars.
As the Evian Tour's top server, Rock was awarded $6,000 while Arce netted $3,000 and McPeak $1,000. Rock, who captured the 1992 and 1995 ace titles, had a record 103 "Silver Bullet" aces with Arce scoring 73 aces and McPeak 71 service winners.
The Evian Tour's 1991 rookie-of-the-year, McPeak set a single- season earnings record by compiling $88,025 to break the previous best of $83,010 set in 1994 by Kirby.
McPeak, who now ranks 10th in career Evian Tour earnings ($177,194.39) with 16 titles, was the only player to finish among the top three events in each of their domestic starts.
A winner of 39 career pro beach titles, McPeak posted eight wins in 14 Evian Tour starts with one second and five thirds. Playing with both Nancy Reno and Lisa Arce, McPeak had a 65-9 match record.
McPeak and Nancy Reno, who finished tied for fifth in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, won four Evian titles this season with three thirds enroute to a 29-5 match mark and 90,800 in earnings.
Arce and McPeak, who became the youngest team (54 years combined) to win a pro beach title when they captured April's Coors Light Beach Volley '96 in Puerto Rico, captured four Evian events with a second and two thirds with $83,250 in earnings and a 36-4 match record.
Overall, the Arce/McPeak tandem posted five wins, one second and three thirds in both domestic (seven events) and international (two) competition this season with two FIVB Beach Volleyball events remaining in November in Brazil and Indonesia.
Arce and McPeak have posted a 48-6 match mark this season with $148,450 in combined earnings. Since the first of August when the pair renewed their partnership, Arce and McPeak have posted a 33-4 record with four firsts, a second and a third.
For her final five Evian Tour events, Blomquist teamed with Danalee Bragado to become one of the circuit's top tandems by posting two fourths, two fifths and a seventh. The fourths were the best career finishes for both players.
Kirby earned the Evian Tour's best setter award for the fifth-time after winning the honor in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Hanley earned her first post-season honor while Reno was capturing her third blocking award.
Roque earned her fourth sportswomanship honor award after receiving the award in 1991, 1992 and 1995. Shupryt-Knoop earned the Judy Bellomo Memorial Most Inspirational award (honors the late Judy Bellomo, who died of cancer Jan. 24, 1990) for the third-time after being selected in 1993 and 1994.
Johnson topped the rookie's point list after 11 outdoor double- elimination events on the 1996 Evian Tour schedule. Johnson, who posted three ninths this season, was 30th in points (114.4) and earned $5,643.75.
Johnson's point total ranked as the 10th-best ever for a rookie on the Evian Tour while her money earnings was the seventh-best for a first-year player. Johnson is a four-time NCAA Division II All- American at Portland State. She was inducted last year into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
The WPVA initiated "Official Awards" in 1990. Here are the 1996 winners along with past recipients.
Sportswomanship Award 1996 - Elaine Roque 1995 - Elaine Roque 1994 - Dennie Shupryt-Knoop 1993 - Shupryt-Knoop 1992 - Elaine Roque 1991 - Roque 1990 - Shupryt-Knoop Most Improved 1996 - Krista Blomquist 1995 - Lisa Arce 1994 - Monique Oliver 1993 - Wendy Fletcher 1992 - Nancy Reno 1991 - Marla O'Hara 1990 - Gayle Stammer Best Hitter/Offensive Player 1996 - Linda Hanley 1995 - Reno 1994 - Liz Masakayan 1993 - Masakayan 1992 - Karolyn Kirby 1991 - Angela Rock 1990 - Kirby Most Inspirational 1996 - Shupryt-Knoop 1995 - Masakayan 1994 - Shupryt-Knoop 1993 - Shupryt-Knoop 1992 - Cammy Ciarelli 1991 - Nina Matthies 1990 - Matthies Best Setter 1996 - Kirby 1995 - Kirby 1994 - Kirby 1993 - Kirby 1992 - Jackie Silva 1991 - Kirby Rookie of the Year 1996 - Lynda Johnson 1995 - Jenny Griffith 1994 - Arce 1993 - Johanna Wright 1992 - Valinda Hilleary 1991 - Holly McPeak 1990 - Alison Johnson Best Defensive 1996 - McPeak 1995 - McPeak 1994 - Barbra Fontana Harris 1993 - Fontana 1992 - Masakayan 1991 - Masakayan 1990 - Janice Harrer Best Blocker 1996 - Reno 1995 - Reno 1994 - Deb Richardson 1993 - Roque 1992 - Reno 1991 - Roque Silver Bullet Ace 1996 - Rock 1995 - Rock 1994 - Richardson 1993 - Gail Castro 1992 - Rock Most Valuable Player 1996 - McPeak 1995 - McPeak 1994 - Kirby 1993 - Kirby/Masakayan 1992 - Masakayan 1991 - Kirby 1990 - Kirby
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