ANDERSON & CAVANAUGH CAPTURES MASTERS TITLE Men's & Women's Open Competition Starts Saturday

30th ANNUAL MOTHERLODE VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC Labor Day Weekend 2002 - August 29 - September 2, 2002 ASPEN, COLO - Eric Anderson captured his fifth MotherLode Volleyball Classic men's masters title in the past seven years as the 45-year old commercial real estate salesman teamed with Andrew Cavanaugh to defeated Tom Pestolesi and Bill Stetson in the finals here Saturday (August 31). With regular partner Kent Kitchel (Santa Cruz, Calif.) sidelined due to right knee surgery, Anderson (Los Gatos, Calif.) successfully defended his men's master title with Cavanaugh (Santa Barbara, Calif.) as the top-seeded team in the 36-team field won six-straight matches this weekend. Anderson and Kitchel won the MotherLode master's crowns in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2001. The pair placed second in 1998 and third in 2000. With a 15-9 win in the finals Saturday, Anderson and Cavanaugh (39 and an attorney) scored a 15-4 win over fourth-seeded Pestolesi and Stetson and a 15-11 win over second-seeded Paul Cook (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Reed Stephenson (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) Friday afternoon to advance to the finals. Cook and Stephenson placed second to Anderson and Kitchel in the 2001 MotherLode men's masters. After losing to Anderson and Cavanaugh Friday, Pestolesi (42 of Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Stetson (42 of Manhattan Beach, Calif.) had to win three elimination matches to advance to the title match, including a 11-4 win Saturday morning over Cook and Stephenson. Pestolesi is the men's and women's volleyball coach at Irvine Junior College while Stetson is a physician. The Colorado volleyball tradition started Thursday with competition in two men's senior divisions (45 and 50 and over) and the women's masters. With the final three days featuring the men's and women's open play, the MotherLode Volleyball Classic runs through Monday at various sites throughout the Aspen-area. Competition in the men's AA, A, BB and B classes and Women's A, BB and B divisions started Saturday morning. Top-seeded Jon Lee (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Don Shaw (Menlo Park, Calif.) won the men's 50 division for the second-straight year as second-seeded Bill Noon (Lawton, Okla.) and Ron Smith (Denver, Colo.) had to forfeit the title match due to Noon's right knee injury. Thursday's title was Lee's (53 and volleyball coach at Santa Barbara's San Marcos High School) seventh Motherlode title. The 51-year old Shaw coached the Stanford women to four NCAA Division I titles in 16 years before becoming the Cardinal men's volleyball coach last season. Top-seeded Jon Hastings (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Andy Shroeder (Concord, Calif.) successfully defended their men's 45 title by defeating second-seeded Bob Blackburn (Sedalia, Colo.) and Mike Fair (Culver City, Calif.) 15-9 for the title. The title was the second for Hastings (46 and publisher of VOLLEYBALL Magazine) and Schroeder (46 and salesman).). Jackie Campbell (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Ilga Celmins (Aptos, Calif.) captured the women's master's title by defeating Yolanda Munoz (Dallas, Tex.) and Shannon Smith (Dallas, Tex.) 15-8 in the title match. The top-seeded Campbell (38 and a planner for Santa Barbara County) and Celmins (37 and a chemical engineer) won their first MotherLode titles. With 17 total divisions of play in men's (8 classes), women's (5) and co-ed (4) divisions, the MotherLode Volleyball Classic is the "most comprehensive" beach volleyball tournament in North America with some of the best beach volleyball east of the Pacific Coast Highway. The MotherLode Volleyball Classic's "open" classes for both men and women feature the United States' top pro beach volleyball players competing on the main championship sand courts at Koch Lumber Park. In addition to the 1,400 participants, the MotherLode Volleyball Classic attracts thousands of spectators that flock to the Aspen-area every Labor Day Weekend to attend "the best volleyball party in the country." The MotherLode Volleyball Classic men's and women's Open divisions have attracted some of America's pro beach players, including former champions Dane Hansen and Ryan Post (men 1999) and Pat Keller (women 1993, 1997 and 1999 with Valinda Hilleary). Hansen and Post are back to improve on their second-place finish to Canyon Ceman and Adam Jewell last September. Keller is teamed with Erin Galli this season. Galli captured the 1992 MotherLode title with Shawn Hoover. Hansen (Raleigh, N. C.) and Post (Denver, Colo.) are ranked third in the men's Open behind the teams of top-seeded Curtis Griffin (Boulder, Colo.)/Kyle Schultz (Denver, Colo.) and second-seeded Skyler Davis (Irving, Tex.)/Brian Soldano (Isle of Palms, S.C.). Gaston Macau (Miami Beach, Fla.) and Adam Roberts (Murrells Inlet, S.C.) are seeded fourth. Griffin is a four-time MotherLode men's Open winner with Erik Moore (1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998). Sean Fallowfield (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who capture MotherLode men's titles in 1986 (with Rudy Dvorak) and 1989 (with Roger Clark) is also seeded among the top 16 teams with Cavanaugh. The top four-seeded women's teams are Galli (San Diego, Calif.)/Keller (Lake Forest, Calif.), Laura Higgins (San Diego, Calif.)/Barbara Nyland (San Diego, Calif.), Catie Fleisher (Aspen, Colo.)/Kelly Rowe (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Malissa Karwowski (San Antonio, Tex.)/Wendy Martin (Wesley Chapel, Fla.). Fleisher is a former indoor volleyball standout at Colorado State. Another former CSU standout in the women's field is Angela Knopf (Fort Collins, Colo.), who is playing with Krista Swartzendruber (Thornton, Colo.). Produced by MotherLode Volleyball Productions of Aspen, "The 'Lode" incorporates the best of traditional beach volleyball creating the "old time" sense of joy and excitement for the sport. It is a "must attend" event for the serious volleyball aficionado - providing an exciting, competitive end-of-the-season volleyball event surrounded by the beauty and excitement of Aspen. Official brand sponsors for the 30th Motherlode include the Motherlode Restaurant, Evian, Vehix.com, Volleyball Magazine, Volleyball Colorado, Paul Mitchell, ATT Broadband, Coca-Cola, Alpine Bank, Coors Light, United/United Express, Park n' Sun Sports, Spike Nashbar, Powerade and Wilson Sporting Goods Co. For additional information about this highly successful and hugely popular beach doubles volleyball event at the premier summer/winter resort, please telephone 720/851-7953 or visit the Motherlode Volleyball Classic website at www.motherlodevolleyball.com. For information regarding activities in the Aspen/Snowmass-area during the Labor Day weekend, please telephone the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (800/262-7736) or visit www.aspenchamber.com. Men's Masters Contender's Bracket, Sixth-Round (losers eliminated, place seventh) · Steve Byrd, Santa Barbara, Calif./Greg Novak, Carpenteria, Calif. (15) def. Mark Bergdahl, Aspen, Colo./Kevin Ryan, Aspen, Colo (12), 11-5; · Thierry Thilliez, Santa Fe, N. M./Vince Vander Mey, Cedar Crest, N. M. (22) def. John Basey, Lyons, Colo./Bill Strande, Evergreen, Colo. (7), 11-4. Contender's Bracket, Seventh-Round (losers eliminated, place fifth) · Byrd/Novak (15) def. Dan LaFontaine, Huntington Beach, Calif./Tom Witt, Scottsdale, Ariz. (3), 11-7; · Tom Pestolesi, Huntington Beach, Calif./Bill Stetson, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (4) def. Thilliez/Vander Mey (22), 11-8. Contender's Bracket, Eight-Round (losers eliminated, place fourth) · Pestolesi/Stetson (4) def. Byrd/Novak (15), 11-4. Contender's Bracket, Ninth-Round (losers eliminated, place third) · Pestolesi/Stetson (4) def. Paul Cook, Steamboat Springs, Colo./Reed Stephenson, Steamboat Springs, Colo. (2), 11-4. Championship Match (winners place first, losers place second) · Eric Anderson, Los Gatos Calif./Andrew Cavanaugh, Santa Barbara, Calif. (1) def. Pestolesi/Stetson (4), 15-9. Friday Results, August 30 Coed A: Warren Furey, Hermosa Beach, Calif./Julie Kaulius, Aurora, Colo. Dan Dolton, Fort Collins, Colo./Angela Knopf, Fort Collins, Colo. Morgan/Wheeler Mike Hodson, Garland, Tex./Tina Hodson, Garland, Tex. · Coed Open - to be announced · Coed BB - to be announced. · Coed B - to be announced. Thursday's Results, August 29 Men's Senior, 50 and over Fourth-Place Match · Bill Noon, Lawton, Okla./Ron Smith, Denver, Colo. (2) def. Danny Patterson, Aspen, Colo./Tom Stillo, Crested Butte, Colo. (5), 15-1. Third-Place Match · Noon/Smith (2) def. Kurt Batchelder, Vail, Colo./Monty McBride, Vail, Colo. (10), 15-14. Championship Match · Jon Lee, Santa Barbara, Calif. Don Shaw, Menlo Park, Calif.(1) won by forfeit over Noon/Smith (2). Men's Senior, 45 and over Fourth-Place Match · Bob Blackburn, Sedalia, Colo./Mike Fair, Culver City, Calif. (2) def. · Pete Burton, Denver, Colo./Dean Carlson, Denver, Colo. (4), 15-3. Third-Place Match · Blackburn/Fair (2) def. Brian Smith, Santa Barbara, Calif./Larry Sutliffe, Denver, Colo. (3), 15-10. Championship Match (winners place 1st, losers place 2nd) · Jon Hastings, San Luis Obispo, Calif./Andy Schroeder, Concord, Calif. (1) def. Blackburn/Fair (2), 15-9. Women's Masters, 34 and over Fourth-Place Match · Yolanda Munoz, Dallas, Tex./Shannon Smith, Dallas, Tex (2) def. Kris Bredehoft, Englewood, Colo./Kathy Lawless, Parker, Colo. (4), 15-10. Third-Place Match · Munoz/Williams (2) def. Becky Benson, Lakewood, Colo./Patti Smith, Dallas, Tex. (3), 15-8. Championship Match · Jackie Campbell, Santa Barbara, Calif./Ilga Celmins, Aptos, Calif. (1) def. Munoz/Williams (2), 15-8. ~ Tim Simmons

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