Metzger/Holdren Rally To Win Opening Match
August 16, 2004 | Bruin Athletics
Aug. 16, 2004
Athens, Greece - In the longest match of the Beach Volleyball competition of Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Dax Holdren and Stein Metzger were able to comeback from a "disappointing" first set loss to win the next two sets over Australia's Andrew Schacht and Joshua Slack. The 80-minute Pool A match saw Schacht and Slack rally from a 19-17 first set deficit to defeat the Americans 24-22. Holdren and Metzger captured the next two sets 24-22 and 15-13 to gain the win in a pool that features top-seeded and 2003 FIVB World Champions Emanuel Rego and Ricardo Santos of Brazil. "Our mistakes really hurt us at the end of the first set," said Metzger, who qualified with Holdren as the United States' No. 2 team behind Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard. "When Dax and I play matches, we have to win like that. We don't get easy points because we are two smaller guys, not really physical. We have to fight hard for every point." Holdren and Metzger now face Iver Horrem and Bjorn Maaseide in an 8 p.m. match Tuesday at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Center before completing pool play Thursday in another 8 p.m. against Emanuel and Ricardo, who defeated the Americans for the world title last October in Rio de Janeiro. The win also avenged a Saturday win by the Aussies' Julien Prosser and Mark Williams over Blanton and Nygaard (21-16 and 21-14) in a Pool E match. "I am glad we could even the score with Australia," said Holdren. "Schacht and Slack played a good match. Andrew was digging all kinds of ball. I think both teams gave the fan a lot of excitement." Despite the opening setback Saturday in Pool E, Blanton and Nygaard still have a chance to advance to the 16-team elimination round with two more preliminary matches remaining starting with Monday 4:30 p.m. meeting with John Child and Mark Heese of Canada.