Stevie Li puts down a spike at the Emporio Armani
beach volleyball tournament yesterday.
Photo by Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

Except, maybe, for a little breeze.

The competition was as hot as the sand as Stevie Li and Sean Scott unseated defending titlists Adam Lockwood and Jon Andersen, 16-14, in the closing game of the Emporio Armani Hawaii Beach Volleyball State Championships.

Going in, the Li-Scott team was not as well known to casual fans as Katz and Naveh Milo (the University of Hawaii phenoms who finished seventh), or beach vets Lockwood and Andersen.

But the Punahou graduates have been quietly building a reputation in their brief months together. The Cuervo Gold and Aloha State Games titles are among their victories.

It's safe to say those wins came easier than yesterday's.

After 91 sideouts, nine game points and 68 minutes, Scott finally ended it when his soft serve fell untouched to Andersen's left and front.

"I looked up right before I served, and I saw Jon getting low," Scott said. "He'd been hanging back and digging my serves all match, so I figured I'd go short."

It capped a comeback from a 14-12 deficit. Lockwood and Andersen - who fought back from the consolation bracket - had seven chances to end it and force a second final. But Li and Scott tied it at 14 when Andersen barely missed on a cross-court hit.

Scott then made an impressive cut shot after a fine dig by Li to make it 15-14. Six sideouts later - with Li cross-court killing seemingly at will - Scott played the winning ace.

Li, a former Hawaii prep player of the year and USC star, had 26 kills and only three errors. But he said Scott's serving was the key to the match.

"For me, that's the real challenge," said Scott, who is a year out of the University of Hawaii program and is still learning the beach game. "Bump setting, doing it while moving your feet. Playing on the beach definitely makes you work on your all-around skills."

Li and Scott led, 11-7, at one point, but let control of the match slip away as Andersen's kills and Lockwood's serves brought them back.

"We decided that even though we had a four- or five-point lead we wanted to play like we were down," Scott said.

Though Lockwood and Andersen seemed at their scrambling best, Lockwood didn't think they played well.

"I'm surprised we got this far," the two-time UH All-American said. "We stunk up the court from the beginning of the tournament."

Peka Malae and Lisa Strand-Maa made the most of their chances in beating Lisa Bragado and Laurie Kemp, 15-12, in the women's final.

Malae said the motivation was simple - she didn't want to have to play another game.

"I can't go another final," the former she said after making three of the last four points. "I'm exhausted. I'd rather take a forfeit.

"Actually, we won because we had three people on our team," Malae added with a smile. "Lisa's two months pregnant."

Bragado thought of other reasons.

"They played great defense," she said. "We had a real hard time putting the ball down."