Goers, VanderWerp win again on MPVA Tour

Thu, Jul 10, 2008    to del.icio.us

Laurie Armstrong of Zeeland and Chara Harris of Florida won the womens pro event at Saturday's Grand Haven Corona Extra MPVA U.S. Open qualifier tournament.

The event was held at the Grand Haven State Park.

Armstrong and Harris defeated Catherine Babcock and Anne Wannemaker in the finals, 21-9, 21-16.

In the mens pro division, the local duo of Pete Goers and Stevo VanderWerp won their second MPVA title in as many tries by defeating the Grand Rapids-based team of Ben Mol and Russ Ettinger, 21-19, 21-16. The local duo went undefeated on the day. The victory qualified them for the U.S. Open Beach Volleyball Championships, to be held in Santa Barbara, Calif., in late September.

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For the first time in their short partnership, the local duo found themselves trailing 15-12 in the first game and 8-3 in the second game of the finals.

"Although Stevo is so young, he has been playing a long time and did not panic knowing that games ebb and flow," Goers said.

The weekend begins a busy week for the pair as they play in the AVP Chicago Open Qualifier today and then travel to Racine, Wis., for another event on Saturday.

The MPVA tour resumes on July 19 in Muskegon.

Other division winners were:

* Womens AA — Erin Pogilts/Rachael Brocker

* Womens A — Stephanie Pell/Beth Hagen

* Mens – A — Chad and Zach Winterhalter

* Youth 18 Under — Char Stolarz/Kristen Reenders

* Youth 14 Under — Kelsey Berrington/Carly Tillitson

* Coed AA — Kathryn Babcock/Brandon Enright

* Coed A — Eric Wright/Megan Sharp

* Coed B — John Qualye/Missy Stranger