At 42, Fontana just having fun playing on the beach

HOLLY STEIN/AVP

Barbra Fontana and her teammate Dianne DeNecochea are seeded fifth in the Charleston Open.

As Barbra Fontana ticks off the number of beach volleyball partners she's had over the years, she pauses a couple of times.

"I had my baby in 2003 and took a year off," she said. "And then I had another baby and took a year off."

Sixteen years, nine partners, two babies and one law degree later, the 42-year-old Fontana is still digging balls out of the sand on the AVP Crocs Tour, competing with some players half her age this week at the Charleston Open in the Family Circle Tennis Center on Daniel Island.

What keeps the oldest woman on the tour going?

"I love it," she said. "I just have a passion for the game, and I feel like I'm playing great volleyball. If I didn't feel like I was

competitive, if I didn't feel like I could do it, then I'd be out of here.

"But right now, I feel like I'm still learning, and that's the phenomenal thing about beach volleyball. There are so many levels and so many intricacies to the game that you can keep learning and take your game to a higher level. It works for me, it works for my family, it provides income for my family, so the whole package just works well for me."

The former all-Pac-10 player at Stanford had her best season on the AVP Tour last year, earning $74,775, notching a second-place and eight third-place finishes with partner Dianne DeNecochea.

This week at the Charleston Open, Fontana and DeNecochea are the fifth-seeded women's team. In action delayed for about two hours by rain on Friday, Fontana and DeNecochea knocked off fourth-seeded Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan in three games before losing to top-seeded Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs later Friday night, again in three games.

Branagh and Young's 17-21, 21-17, 15-9 victory put them into today's semifinals, while Fontana and DeNecochea will have to come through the contenders' bracket to make the semis. Third-seeded Jennifer Boss and April Ross also advanced to the semis by upsetting the second-seeded team of Tyra Turner and Rachel Wacholder.

Men's top seeds Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers won twice Friday to advance to the semis, defeating ninth-seeded Matt Olson and Kevin Wong and the No. 4 team of Nick Lucena and Sean Scott. Also making the semis were new partners Stein Metzger and Mark Williams, the third-seeded team. Metzger, who won the Charleston Open last year with Mike Lambert, teamed with Williams to edge sixth-seeded Ty Loomis and Hans Stolfus in three games before downing the No. 18 team of Mike Morrison and Ty Tramblie.

Following her volleyball career at Stanford — the Cardinal advanced to the NCAA Final Four each of her four seasons — Fontana went on to law school at Santa Clara, where she was a member of Law Review. She passed the California bar in 1992 and still keeps current her license to practice.

But despite that and the birth of sons Lucas and Giovanni, Fontana would rather practice volleyball than law. One reason is her partner, DeNecochea, who is 40 and has two kids of her own, both girls. The 6-4 native of Michigan was all-SEC at Tennessee and took much of the 2004 season off to have her second child.

"We really enjoy playing together and I really like Dianne as a person," Fontana said. "We are kind of in the same spot in life, which doesn't necessarily matter, but is a bonus for us. We both have kids, we're both married, we both like to get in and get out and work hard.

"Plus, her skill set is fantastic. She's one of the most dominant blockers and hitters on the beach, and her strengths make me able to capitalize on mine, which are defense and ball control."

Fontana's ideal schedule this week would include a 9 p.m. date today in the women's final, followed by an early flight Sunday back to Manhattan Beach for Mother's Day with her family.

"It's tricky," she said. "You have to have balance and be organized, and we are lucky because our kids are always with family when I'm away or when my husband's working. That takes away a lot of that guilt feeling when you are not there with them, because they are with family and building a relationship with them.

"But I'll be flying home first thing Sunday, and I can be home by 10 a.m., no problem."

FRIDAY'S RESULTS

WOMEN

Round 3

Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (1) def. Ashley Ivy / Heather Lowe (9) 21-14, 21-17 (0:39)

Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (4) 21-19, 13-21, 20-18 (1:07)

Jennifer Boss / April Ross (3) def. Angie Akers / Holly McPeak (6) 21-17, 12-21, 15-11 (1:03)

Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (2) def. Carrie Dodd / Tatiana Minello (7) 21-13, 21-16 (0:48)

Round 4

Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs (1) def. Dianne DeNecochea / Barbra Fontana (5) 17-21, 21-17, 15-9

Jennifer Boss / April Ross (3) def. Tyra Turner / Rachel Wacholder (2) 21-17, 21-13 (0:42)

MEN

Round 3

Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Matt Olson / Kevin Wong (9) 21-14, 21-14 (0:50)

Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (4) def. Anthony Medel / Fred Souza (5) 21-18, 21-10 (0:40)

Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (3) def. Ty Loomis / Hans Stolfus (6) 15-21, 21-15, 23-21 (1:27)

Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (18) def. Jason Ring / Aaron Wachtfogel (7) 21-19, 14-21, 19-17 (1:12)

Round 4

Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers (1) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Scott (4) 21-16, 21-15 (0:47)

Stein Metzger / Mark Williams (3) def. Mike Morrison / Ty Tramblie (18) 21-17, 21-17 (0:44)