CBVA 2018_HOF Event Program

2018 INDUCTEES
JENNY JOHNSON JORDAN • SEAN SCOTT • Mike Lambert
HONORING LEGEND STEVE OBRADOVICH
Photo: Frank Kaiser

HOF CRITERIA
Annually the Hall of Fame Committee
will develop a slate of nominees and
select at least one male and one female,
with no more than three players being
inducted each year. An additional person
may be selected in criteria (2) from time
to time, in addition to players selected
in criteria (1).
1. Top ranked volleyball players who
have maintained a high degree of
excellence and superior play over a
significant period of time and have
played in California volleyball events.
2. Each candidate has to have devoted
a major part of his or her life to the sport
of volleyball, and has made positive and
meaningful contributions.
3. For a player to be considered as a
viable nominee, there must be a five
year interval after playing full time at
a professional level.
HOF Committee
Chris Brown
Kevin Cleary
Art Couvillon
Barbra Fontana
Matt Gage
Ron Lang
Liz Masakayan
Holly McPeak
Brian Meckna
JP Saikley
Dane Selznick
Sinjin Smith
George Stepanof
Randy Stoklos

5-7pm
Happy Hour with Legends
Tim Hovland and Steve Obradovich
7pm
Ceremony Begins
Master of Ceremony: Jim Arico
Introduction by: Chris “Geeter” McGee
CBVA Awards
Special Presenters: Rachel Scott & Tim Hovland
CBVA Juniors Awards
18’s, 16’s, 14’s, 12’s
Adult Rated Awards
AAA, AA, A, B
Moment of Silence in Memory of Mike O’Hara
Hall of Fame Class of 2018 Inductions
Jenny Johnson Jordan
Presenter: Burt Fuller
Sean Scott
Presenter: Mike Kantor
Mike Lambert
Presenter: Casey Jennings
Honoring Legends
Steve Obradovich
Presenter: Tim Hovland
9:00pm
After Party in the HBHS Museum
Beer, wine, drinks and food will be available

Top Ranked Girls in Each Age Group
18U Pippa Monk Heidrich & Abby Van Winkle
16U Olivia Bakos & Peri Brennan
14U Kelly Belardi & Savannah Standage
12U London Wijay & Charlie Fuerbringer
Top Ranked Boys in Each Age Group
18U John Schwengel & Dane Johnson
16U Grant Strong & Benjamin Coordt
14U Ryan Sprague & Mick Bakos
12U Jett Bathurst & Jason Coronado

Top Ranked Men in Each Category
AAA Lev Priima
AA Timmy Blanc
A Ryan Meehan
B Stanton Smith
Top Ranked Women in each Category
AAA Falyn Fonoimoana
AA Kiora Sanchez
A Jessica Airey
B Jacki Kane - Jing

CLASS OF 2018
JENNY JOHNSON JORDAN
By Chris Warshaw
Jenny Johnson Jordan’s Hall of Fame career embodies the best
of our sport: loyalty, consistency, and professionalism.
The daughter of Rafer Johnson, an Olympic gold medalist in
the decathlon, Johnson Jordan was perhaps destined to be a star
athlete. She enjoyed a stellar indoor career at UCLA and was
a member of the 1991 UCLA National Championship team and a
two-time Volleyball Magazine All-American.
Johnson Jordan made her beach debut in 1996 with Katy Eldrige.
That tournament is notable because it is the only tournament
Johnson Jordan would play in with a partner was not named
Annett Davis. Johnson Jordan played alongside Davis, a fellow
Bruin, in over 150 events. The two formed the most solid partnership
the sport has ever known, unusual in a sport known for acrimonious
partner breakups.

It did not take long for Johnson Jordan and Davis to make their
mark on tour. They got their first win in 1999 and finished second
that same year in the FIVB World Championships.
Johnson was a model of consistency. She finished ranked in the
top 10 in season points each year she competed on the AVP tour.
She won a total of 12 times, including a 2002 Manhattan Open
win earning a coveted plaque on the Manhattan Beach Pier.
Playing during a period of significant change and upheaval on
the professional circuit, Davis competed in virtually every tour,
including the Pro 4s circuit, the FIVP, WPVA, BVA, AVP, and NVL.
She was, in short, a professional’s professional.
Johnson Jordan’s proudest moment came when she represented
the United States in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, finishing in a
strong fifth place. On the court, Johnson Jordan was a fiery competitor,
relentless on defense, and a high riser out of the sand.
She and her partner Davis were also models for female athletes,
balancing young families while competing professionally and also
serving as role models for female beach players of color.
Since retiring from playing, Johnson Jordan has remained heavily
involved in the sport. She is the assistant coach on the National
Champion Bruin beach volleyball program and a High Performance
Coach for USA Volleyball, as well as coaching at her alma mater,
Windward High School.
When she’s not coaching, Johnson Jordan spends time with her
husband, former UCLA All-American wide receiver Kevin Jordan,
and their two children, Jaylen and Kory.
By her play, her loyalty, and her example, Johnson Jordan is a true
Hall of Famer.

CLASS OF 2018
SEAN SCOTT
By Chris Warshaw
Sean Scott is a testament to the rewards of hard work and determination.
His place in the Hall of Fame was earned through
sweat, effort, and grit.
Born on Oahu, Sean Scott played his high school volleyball at
powerhouse Punahou High and collegiately at the University
of Hawaii. He made his professional beach debut in 1997 with
fellow Hawaiian Stein Metzger.
Scott was far from overnight sensation. In his early years as
a pro, he battled in the trenches, searching for the key to success.
But through a relentless drive and work ethic, he methodically
improved every season he played. His breakthrough came in 2004,
when he and Todd Rogers won the AVP event in Tempe, Arizona.

That same season, Scott won the AVP’s Best of the Beach tournament
in his hometown Honolulu topping the sports’ best and
later that season missed qualifying for the Olympics by one spot.
Scott continued to improve, enjoying solid results on tour
with Nick Lucena, Dax Holdren, and others. But it was toward
the end of his career, when Scott partnered with John Hyden,
that he found his greatest success. Scott and Hyden combined
for 19 professional wins and in 2011 and 2012 won an astounding
14 of the 19 domestic tournaments they played in.
Scott was one of finest blockers of his era despite being undersized
for a net player. He combined impeccable blocking technique
with an innate ability to read hitters. Scott was also a
solid ball control player, an excellent transition setter, and a
fierce jump server.
Known for his rigorous training and nutritional regime, Scott
was perhaps the fittest player on tour – a walking advertisement
for why shirts are unnecessary in beach volleyball.
And Scott is one of the only players to retire at the top of his
game, finishing the 2012 season with four consecutive victories
before announcing his retirement.
In 2007, Scott formed his most important partnership when he
married fellow beach professional Rachel Wacholder. Together they
have two children: Koa Daniel Scott 9 and Nila Ashley Scott 7.
Since leaving volleyball He has worked as a Director for USA
Volleyball and Beach National Teams.
Sean Scott is proof that talent alone isn’t enough and that hard
work and effort can earn you a ticket to the Hall of Fame.

CLASS OF 2018
Mike Lambert
By Chris Warshaw
The state of Hawaii legal code actually includes a definition for
the term Aloha Spirit: “the coordination of mind and heart within
each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must
think and emote good feelings to others in the contemplation and
presence of the life force.” Though there have been many great
beach volleyball players from Hawaii, nobody captured the Aloha
Spirit better than Mike Lambert.
Lambert was born in Kaneohe, Hawaii and grew up alongside
sisters Mia and Debbie, both of whom were exceptional volleyball
players. He crossed the Pacific to attend Stanford University
where he was a three-time all American, leading the Cardinal
to their first and only NCAAA Championships in 1997.
Before transitioning to the beach, Lambert was a member of the
indoor U.S. National Team for five seasons and an Olympian in
1996 and 2000. He also played professionally in Italy for four years.

He made an immediate impact when he hit the sand, quickly
becoming one of the dominant big men on tour and named the
2002 Rookie of the Year. 2004 was Lambert’s breakout year when
he partnered with Karch Kiraly to win four tournaments, including
the Manhattan Open and was awarded both the AVP Most
Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player. He and Karch were
also named AVP Team of the Year.
Lambert would go on to win 16 tournaments in his relatively short
career, including nine with fellow Hawaiian and good friend Stein
Metzger and tournaments with John Hyden and Eric Fonoimoana.
Lambert also won the 2005 King of the Beach tournament in
Las Vegas. In that same year, Lambert played alongside Karch
when the legend captured the last of his 148 victories. As his
nickname the “Hawaiian Curtain” suggests, Lambert was the
dominant blocker of his era. His long reach, ability to read attackers,
and his impeccable timing made it virtually impossible effectively
attach his block. He was also a dominant offensive player,
smooth on serve receive and an underrated setter.
While fiercely competitive, Lambert exuded a laid back style off
the court. He was a favorite of both fans and his fellow tour professionals,
often bringing his guitar to the beach to play songs in-between
matches and charming with an infectious smile. You would
have to search far and wide to find someone with anything bad to
say about Mike Lambert.
Since retirement, Mike continues to share his Aloha Spirit with
his wife and kids and with his guitar playing and with that smile.
If Lambert had played perhaps 10 years earlier, when the AVP
tour was on more solid financial footing, there is no question he
would have many, many more victories. But as it was, the sport
was lucky to witness his greatness on the court and his friendship
off the court. A Hall of Famer in every respect.

Honoring legend
Steve Obradovich
By Chris Warshaw
In his prime Steve Obradovich had a signature move. In an early
round game against an intimidated and overmatched opponent
and when the game was all but done, Obradovich would wind up
for his powerful left-hand attack, intentionally miss the ball and
bump it over with his head, adding insult to injury.
The move pretty much sums up Steve Obradovich.: playful,
theatrical, and, yes, just a little obnoxious.
Over an almost two-decade career, Obradovich, better known as
OB, made the sand the stage for his one-man show in which
everyone else--opponents, fans, teammates, and especially referees,
were bit players to his starring role. He glowered, yelled,
needled, teased, and blustered his way through every match and
in the process, produced some of the most compelling volleyball
of his era. When you pulled up your beach chair next to an OB
match, one thing was for sure: you were about to be entertained.

Underneath all the bluster though, OB had the athletic skills to
back it up. He played volleyball and football at USC and won both
a Rose Bowl and a volleyball national championship in the same
year. At the tender age of 21, with partner Chris Marlow, OB won
the biggest tournament of them all: The Manhattan Open, topping
the greatest players of that era, including Mengers, Lee and Gage.
Shortly after winning Manhattan, O.B. formed a partnership with
Gary Hopper, another flamboyant player, and the two because
mainstays on the Open circuit and fan favorites or fan villains
depending on your perspective. OB & Hopper won seven Opens
together including the 1979 Hermosa Open. From 1977 through
1982 OB & Hopper never finished lower than fifth place in an
Open tournament – a remarkable run of consistency.
Obradovich had a cannon for a left-harm, allowing him to consistently
challenger taller blockers and he possessed a deceptive cut
shot that kept defenders honest. He also had one of the of the best
setting touches of his generation and in the late 1970s era when
the calls became increasingly tight, OB was one of the few players
to consistently hand set. As the money grew in the mid to
late-1980s, OB found professional success with several other partners,
including Ricci Luyties, John Hanley, and Craig Moothart.
If not for his well-known aversion to practice, OB could have no doubt
extended his success even deeper into the money era of the sport.
Underneath all of OB’s bullying and ranting and raving, was one
of the most generous and well-liked players on tour. He could be
screaming at an opponent one minute, and enjoying a post-game
beer with that same opponent the next. He employed half the tour
at Julie’s, his family restaurant near USC. OB was often referred
to as the McEnroe of beach volleyball sport. That comparison only
works so far. While McEnroe generally seemed angry at the world,
OB never did. There were no demons torturing Steve Obradovich
causing him to lash out. Instead, he saw beach volleyball as a
simple stage play: four players and a referee, and realized that
what show needed to keep from being boring was more drama,
more action, more tension and you guessed it, a villain or two.
And he was happy to star in that role.

1992
Mike Cook
Kathy Gregory
Bernie Holtzman
Ed Montan
Mike O'Hara
Gene Popko
Gene Selznick
George Stepanof
Ron Von Hagen
1993
Jean Brunicardi
Keith Erickson
Kirk Kilgour
Chris Marlowe
Miki McFadden
Sharky Zartman
1994
Bobby Barber
Matt Gage
Nina Matthies
Jim Menges
1995
Mike Bright
Eileen Clancy
Ron Lang
1996
Butch May
Mary Jo Peppler
Jon Stevenson
Robert Vogelsang
1997
Kathy Hanley
Greg Lee
Larry Rundle
Charlie Saikley
1998
Barbara May
Al Scates
Ernie Suwara
1999
Robi Hutas
ZoAnn McFarland
Randy Stoklos
2000
Mike Dodd
Tim Hovland
2001
Henry Bergman
Johnette Latreille
2002
Sinjin Smith
2003
Andy Fishburn
Dane Selznick
2004
Linda Robertson
Kent Steffes
2005
Steve Obradovich
Manny Saenz
Denny Smith
2006
Dennis Hare
Karolyn Kirby
Nancy Reno

2007
Karch Kiraly
2008
Tom Chamales
Wilt Chamberlain
Linda Chisholm
Brent Frohoff
Jackie Silva
2009
Gary Hooper
Gary Martin
Liz Masakayan
Pat Powers
2010
Kevin Cleary
Angela Rock
Mike Whitmarsh
2011
Art Couvillon
John Hanley
Brian Lewis
Holly McPeak
2012
Scott Ayakatubby
Adam Johnson
Janice Opalinski
2013
Jack Adriance
Patty Dodd
Eric Fonoimoana
Buzz Swarts
2014
Bob Clem
Barbra Fontana
José Loiola
2015
Lisa Arce
Nancy Cohen
Jon Hastings
Ricci Luyties
2016
Dain Blanton
John Featherstone
Team Hovland & Dodd
Elaine Youngs
Fred Zuelich
2017
Gail Castro
Rose Duncan
Team Smith & Stoklos
Paul Sunderland
John Vallely
2018
Jenny Johnson Jordan
Mike Lambert
Sean Scott
In Memory of Mike O’Hara
1932 - 2018