When the teams of Karch Kiraly-Kevin Wong and Albert Hannemann-Eric Fonoimoana took the sand Friday morning, there were four Olympic gold medals between them. Kiraly is a three-time gold medalist, the winningest player in AVP history and synonymous with the sport of beach volleyball. Fonoimoana won his gold medal in Sydney in 2000 and is a former AVP Most Valuable Player (2002).
When they left the court after an exciting 21-19, 16-21, 15-12 win for Kiraly and Wong, the fans looking on at the stadium court — the largest turnout of the weekend to that point — gave the four a standing ovation.
"That's why we're all out here," Wong said. "Fans like these kinds of matches."
Those same spectators seemed to follow Kiraly and Wong to their next matches all over the beach here in Seaside Heights. The pair staved off elimination against the fifth-seeded team of Casey Jennings and Mark Williams in a 19-21, 21-16, 15-13 classic that once again brought the crowd to its feet, before falling, 21-16, 21-16 to Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal for a ninth-place finish in Kiraly's last visit to New Jersey.
But the morning all started with a thriller between two AVP greats who will be retiring at the end of the season — Kiraly and Fonoimoana.
Fonoimoana and Hannemann took an early lead in Game 1 before Kiraly and Wong stormed back with an 8-2 run that made it 15-12. Fonoi and Al-B got within 18-18 before Kiraly and Wong closed it out.
In the second game, Fonoimoana and Hannemann led most of the way, but Game 3 was a different story. Kiraly took it to the next level, leading his team to an 11-6 lead, culminating in a questionable call by the referee in favor of Kiraly and Wong. Hannemann's protests earned him a yellow card, and he returned to the sidelines with an assault on Gatorade products — he kicked the billboard on the walk back to his chair, slammed the lid of a cooler and chucked his water bottle angrily to the floor.
"It was a horrible call," Hannemann said. "The referees are trying to dictate what's going on here."
But the alleged missed call fired up Hannemann and Fonoimoana. After dropping the next point, they reeled off six of the next seven to get within 13-12.
"They made a bunch of great plays after [the questionable call] and almost caught up," Kiraly said. "It seemed like there was a momentum swing."
If there was, Kiraly and Wong weathered it, finishing off their rivals with a flourish.
"I'm glad it was a good match for everyone to see," said a still frustrated Hannemann.
Hannemann and Fonoimoana, seeded 14th, were eliminated from the Seaside Heights Open and the No. 4-seeded team of Kiraly and Wong advanced in the contender's bracket, but onlookers might remember this match as the last time Kiraly and Fonoimoana, two of the best players in AVP history, faced off.
"[Fonoimoana's] battles against Karchy are some of the best ever," said Wong, who has paired with Kiraly, Fonoimoana and Hannemann in his AVP career.
If Saturday's was the last of these battles, the finale certainly didn't disappoint.
A perfect pairing: After beating the 20th-seeded team of Ryan Mariano and Ed Ratledge on Saturday afternoon, Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus were the lowest-seeded team (12) still hanging around in the winner's bracket.
"It means we're on the up and up," Stolfus said.
Stolfus has finished third and Loomis fifth on the AVP Tour, but Seaside is only the third tournament where the two have been teamed. The victory earned them at least fifth place.
"It's perfect," Loomis said of the new-found partnership.
Loomis and Stolfus were bumped into the contender's bracket by the top-seeded team of Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers with a 21-15, 21-16 loss later Sunday, but they're guaranteed a match on the tournament's final day for the first time as a unit.
"They're a step above everybody else," Stolfus said of the Dalhausser and Rogers.
But the duo of Stolfus and Loomis is climbing.