ESPINHO, PORTUGAL - Sixth-seeded Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs from the Women's Professional Volleyball Association dropped two matches here Sunday (August 3) to finish fourth in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event.

Several WPVA teams, including top-ranked Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak, missed this weekend's FIVB stop due to their participation Saturday and Sunday in the eighth annual Evian Invitational at East Quogue, N. Y.

Arce and McPeak are the winningest team on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour after four events this season with combined earnings of $68,000 and 23 match wins. Arce and McPeak won the Pescara, Italy event, finished second in Brazil and France, and third in Australia.

Other teams with FIVB rankings playing in this weekend's Evian Invitational are the WPVA tandems of Karolyn Kirby/Nancy Reno, Barbra Fontana/Linda Hanley, Karrie Poppinga/Angela Rock and Kristi Blomquist/Christine Schaefer.

Masakayan and Youngs, who teamed to win the last WPVA event in Chicago, Ill. July 13, dropped a pair of 15-9 decisions to teams from Brazil to share $8,000 for fourth-place.

Third-seeded Monica Rodrigues and Adriana Samuel of Brazil, the silver medalists from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, defeated Masakayan and Youngs in the Portugal semi-finals. In the third- place match, Masakayan and Youngs lost to second-seeded Sandra Pires and Jackie Silva, who won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Top-seeded Shelda Bede and Adriana Behar of Brazil advanced to their fourth-straight FIVB final this season by defeating Pires and Silva 15-4.

Masakayan and Youngs was playing in their second FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event after finishing ninth last weekend in Marseille, France. Masakayan, who fractured her right kneecap two years ago in Espinho, had won three international titles with Kirby.

Jennifer Meredith and Leanne Schuster, who won five-straight qualifying matches earlier this week to advance to their first international main draw event together, were eliminated earlier Saturday after dropping a 15-3 decision to fourth-seeded Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst of Australia, who won the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Meredith and Schuster finished 13th in the competition to share $2,200.

Other finishes by WPVA tandems in Portugal were a 17th for 11th- seeded Pat Keller and Ali Wood, who shared $1,600 by winning one of three of matches. Tenth-seeded Danalee Bragado and Marla O'Hara and 31st-seeded Desiree Leipham and Tee Williams dropped a pair of matches Friday to tie for 25th as each player earned $550.