EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. - In 1996, Holly McPeak duplicated her efforts from the previous season as she was honored as the Evian Women's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour's top player and defender.

Hosted by the Kaua'i Marriott Resort & Beach Club, the post-season honors were announced at a reception in conjunction with the $75,000 Best of the Beach III, the 15th and final event on the 1996 Evian Tour.

McPeak and Lisa Arce captured the Best of the Beach III (Sept. 13-15) title by defeating top-seeded Barbra Fontana and Linda Hanley 15-7 in the finals from Lihue, Kaua'i, Hi.

McPeak and the other 1996 award winners were presented with a Roven Dino timepiece, a "fashionably sporty watch", at the Sept. 14 reception at the Kaua'i Marriott Resort & Beach Club.

All active members of the Women's Professional Volleyball Association voted for the nine awards, including most valuable, most improved, best setter, best hitter, best blocker, best defender, most inspirational, sportswomanship and rookie-of-the-year.

Krista Blomquist was selected as the most improved, Karolyn Kirby the best setter, 40-year old Dennie Shupryt-Knoop the most inspirational, Elaine Roque the top sportswoman, Linda Hanley the top hitter/offensive player, Nancy Reno the best blocker and Lynda Johnson the rookie-of-the-year.

Angela Rock won the "Silver Bullet" ace competition, the only season-ending award determined on the sand. The Coors Light Brand at the Coors Brewing Company contributed $10,000 to the bonus pool with the top three servers earning additional dollars.

As the Evian Tour's top server, Rock was awarded $6,000 while Arce netted $3,000 and McPeak $1,000. Rock, who captured the 1992 and 1995 ace titles, had a record 103 "Silver Bullet" aces with Arce scoring 73 aces and McPeak 71 service winners.

The Evian Tour's 1991 rookie-of-the-year, McPeak set a single-season earnings record by compiling $88,025 to break the previous best of $83,010 set in 1994 by Kirby.

McPeak, who now ranks 10th in career Evian Tour earnings ($177,194) with 16 titles, was the only player to finish in the top three in each of her domestic starts. A winner of 39 career pro beach titles, McPeak posted eight wins in 14 Evian Tour starts with one second and five thirds. Playing with both Nancy Reno and Lisa Arce, McPeak had a 65-9 match record.

McPeak and Nancy Reno, who finished tied for fifth in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, won four Evian titles this season with three thirds enroute to a 29-5 match mark and $90,800 in earnings.

Arce and McPeak, who became the youngest team (54 years combined) to win a pro beach title when they captured April's Coors Light Beach Volley '96 in Puerto Rico, captured four Evian events, one second place and two third places with $83,250 in earnings and a 36-4 match record.

Overall, the Arce/McPeak tandem posted five wins, one second and three thirds in both domestic (seven events) and international (two) competition this season with two FIVB Beach Volleyball events remaining in November in Brazil and Indonesia.

Arce and McPeak have posted a 48-6 match mark this season with $148,450 in combined earnings. Since the first of August when the pair renewed their partnership, Arce and McPeak have posted a 33-4 record with four firsts, a second and a third.

For her final five Evian Tour events, Blomquist teamed with Danalee Bragado to become one of the circuit's top tandems by posting two fourths, two fifths and a seventh. The fourths were the best career finishes for both players.

Kirby earned the Evian Tour's best setter award for the fifth-time after winning the honor in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Hanley earned her first post-season honor while Reno was capturing her third blocking award.

Roque earned her fourth sportswomanship honor award after receiving the award in 1991, 1992 and 1995. Shupryt-Knoop earned the Judy Bellomo Memorial Most Inspirational award (honors the late Judy Bellomo, who died of cancer Jan. 24, 1990) for the third-time after being selected in 1993 and 1994.

Johnson topped the rookie's point list after 11 outdoor double-elimination events on the 1996 Evian Tour schedule. Johnson, who posted three ninths this season, was 30th in points (114.4) and earned $5,643.

Johnson's point total ranked as the 10th-best ever for a rookie on the Evian Tour while her money earnings was the seventh-best for a first-year player. Johnson is a four-time NCAA Division II All-American at Portland State. She was inducted last year into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

The WPVA initiated "Official Awards" in 1990. Here are the 1996 winners along with past recipients.

Most Improved

1996 - Krista Blomquist
1995 - Lisa Arce
1994 - Monique Oliver
1993 - Wendy Fletcher
1992 - Nancy Reno
1991 - Marla O'Hara
1990 - Gayle Stammer

Best Hitter/Offensive Player

1996 - Linda Hanley
1995 - Reno
1994 - Liz Masakayan
1993 - Masakayan
1992 - Karolyn Kirby
1991 - Angela Rock
1990 - Kirby

Most Inspirational

1996 - Shupryt-Knoop
1995 - Masakayan
1994 - Shupryt-Knoop
1993 - Shupryt-Knoop
1992 - Cammy Ciarelli
1991 - Nina Matthies
1990 - Matthies

Best Defensive

1996 - McPeak
1995 - McPeak
1994 - Barbra Fontana
1993 - Fontana
1992 - Masakayan
1991 - Masakayan
1990 - Janice Harrer

Best Blocker

1996 - Reno
1995 - Reno
1994 - Deb Richardson
1993 - Roque
1992 - Reno
1991 - Roque

Silver Bullet Ace

1996 - Rock
1995 - Rock
1994 - Richardson
1993 - Gail Castro
1992 - Rock

Best Setter

1996 - Kirby
1995 - Kirby
1994 - Kirby
1993 - Kirby
1992 - Jackie Silva
1991 - Kirby