Misty sweeps top honors

Newport Harbor High product Misty May-Treanor once again swept the major honors at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals postseason banquet Wednesday in Los Angeles.

May-Treanor was named Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (defender), while also teaming with partner Kerri Walsh to earn Team of the Year.

It’s the fourth straight MVP honor for May-Treanor, who along with Walsh won the tandem’s second straight Olympic gold medal last summer in Beijing.

It was the fifth straight time she was named the top offensive player and the third consecutive time she picked up the top defensive honor.

May-Treanor and Walsh have earned the top team distinction each of the last six years.

Former UC Irvine standout Whitney Pavlik earned Rookie of the Year honors after the 24-year-old posted 10 Top-10 finishes in the 15 tournaments in which she competed.

May-Treanor and Walsh won 12 of the 15 AVP Crocs Tour events they entered in 2008 and they never finished worse than third. They had an unprecedented 112-match winning streak that included 19 consecutive titles from Aug, 19, 2007 through Aug. 31, 2008.

Walsh was named the tour’s top blocker, while Nicole Branagh was named Most Improved Player among the women.

Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers dominated the men’s awards, including Team of the Year.

Dalhausser was named MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (blocker).

Rogers shared Defensive Player of the Year (defender) laurels with Nick Lucena, who was also named Most Improved Player. Pedro Brazao was the men’s Rookie of the Year. All awards were voted on by the players.

— From staff reports