CHICAGO, ILL. - Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs became the lowest seeded team to win an Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour event as the 12th-seeded pair rallied to defeat top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak 16-14 in the finals of the $50,000 Evian Open presented by Bravo Card here Sunday (July 13).

The previous best finish by a lower seeded team was by ninth-seeded Linda Hanley and Angela Rock when the pair won the 1995 Puerto Rico event by upsetting fifth-seeded McPeak and Nancy Reno.

Trailing 10-2 and 14-9 in the championship match that will be replayed July 19 on ABC Sports, Masakayan and Youngs withstood five match points by Arce and McPeak to win their first pro beach volleyball title together.

Masakayan and Youngs tied the match at 14-14 on an Arce hitting error. The winners took the lead for good on a Masakayan kill and won the match on Young's deep service ace past Arce.

The win was Masakayan's 36th professional victory as she won her first Evian Tour event since 1995, when she teamed with Karolyn Kirby to capture the eight-team Evian Invitational in Newport, R. I. (July 2).

Youngs, a member of the United States' indoor volleyball team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, posted her first title in only her fourth Evian Tour event.

Masakayan and Youngs shared $11,000 for the win on North Avenue Beach while Arce and McPeak, who dropped a 15-7 match earlier Sunday to Masakayan and Youngs, split $8,100 for second. Arce and McPeak had won six of the previous nine Evian Tour events this season while Masakayan and Youngs become just the third team to win a domestic title this season.

After losing to Masakayan and Youngs, Arce and McPeak rebounded with wins over second-seeded Kirby and Reno (15-8) and seventh- seeded Krista Blomquist and Christine Schaefer (15-9) to reach the finals. Masakayan and Youngs downed fourth-seeded Karrie Poppinga and Rock 15-12 to reach the championship match.

Blomquist and Schaefer, who upset Kirby and Reno 15-11 in Saturday's final match, split $5,700 for finishing third after downing Poppinga and Rock 15-4. Poppinga and Rock, who injured her right knee in the tournament semifinals, split $4,100 for fourth.