The win was the second title this season for the Masakayan/Youngs tandem as the pair also overcame early deficits to win the WPVA Chicago Open July 13 over top-ranked Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak.

Poppinga, a former University of Hawaii All-American teamed from Mililani, and Rock were playing in their first championship match this season after finishing third three times early this year.

Masakayan, who notched her 37 pro beach win and 34 on the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, and Youngs tied the Best of the Beach IV finale at 7-7 and went ahead 8-7 before falling behind 13- 10.

In a 59-minute match, Masakayan and Youngs scored the last five points of the match to share the $10,000 first-place prize. The winning pair had to qualify for the final two days of competition by winning three-straight pool play matches Friday at Nawiliwili Park.

Masakayan and Youngs, who won a record seven of eight matches in the Best of the Beach IV, advanced to the finals with a 15-13 come- from-behind win over top-seeded Arce and McPeak in a 79-minute, 113-sideout match. Poppinga and Rock, who shared $8,000 for second, upset second-seeded Karolyn Kirby and Nancy Reno 15-9 to advance to the finals.

Youngs, who is the only first-year beach player to win pro titles, also set an Evian Tour earnings record for a rookie by compiling $17,741.25 in only six domestic starts this season.

The win was Masakayan's 11th "major" title on the WPVA as she won her last Evian Tour "grand slam" event two years ago in Newport, R. I. (July 2, 1995) with Kirby. Youngs, who leaves next month to play professionally in Turkey, captured her first "major" crown.

Kirby and Reno scored a 15-6 decision over top-seeded Arce and McPeak in the third-place match as both top-seeded teams were upset in the semi-finals.

Poppinga and Rock led from the start to defeat Kirby and Reno 15-9 as the pair evened their season series at 2-2. Kirby and Reno split $6,000 for third-place while Arce and McPeak shared $4,500 for fourth.

Hosted by the Kaua'i Marriott Resort & Beach Club on Kalapaki Beach, the $50,000 Best of the Beach IV is co-sponsored by the County of Kaua'i, the Kaua'i Economic Development Board, the Kaua'i Visitors Bureau and the Kalapaki Beach Resort Association. The Best of the Beach IV, the fourth and final "major" event on the 1997 Evian Tour, is being taped by FOX Sports for replay the week of October 5.

Sunday's Results

Championship match (winners finish first, split $10,000; losers place second, split $8,000) - Liz Masakayan, San Diego, Calif./Elaine Youngs, San Diego (ninth-seeded) def. Karrie Poppinga, Mililani, Hi./Angela Rock, Leucadia, Calif. (4), 15-13. Third-place match (winners finish third, split $6,000; losers place fourth, split $4,500) - Karolyn Kirby, Brookline, Mass.-San Diego/Nancy Reno, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (2) def. Lisa Arce, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Holly McPeak, Manhattan Beach, 15-6.

Semi-finals - Masakayan/Youngs def. Arce/McPeak, 15-13; Poppinga/Rock def. Kirby/Reno, 15-9. Contender's bracket, second- round (losers eliminated, place fifth, split $3,750) - Masakayan/Youngs def. Barbra Fontana, Manhattan Beach/Linda Hanley, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (3), 15-9; Poppinga/Rock def. Linda Chisholm, Van Nuys, Calif./Deb Richardson, Minneapolis, Minn.-Santa Barbara, Calif. (6), 15-11.