WEEKEND IN REVIEW:

RIO DE JANEIRO — Ryan Hansen, a Corona del Mar High product, was part of the U.S. men’s national volleyball team winning its first Federation Internationale de Volleyball World League title.

The Americans beat Serbia, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, in the gold medal match in front of 5,700 at Maracanazinho Gymnasium on Sunday.

The U.S., ranked third in the world, finished the World League with a 12-4 record. Serbia, tied for eighth in the world with Puerto Rico, finished at 10-6.

Russia defeated host Brazil, the five-time defending World League champion, 25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19, to claim the bronze medal.

Team USA won $1 million for the tournament victory. Its previous best World League finishes were bronze medals in 2007 and 1992.

All four teams in the medal matches will play next at the Olympic Games in Beijing. The men’s tournament begins on Aug. 10.

MAY-TREANOR WINS AGAIN

LONG BEACH — In their final Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tournament before the Olympics next month, Newport Harbor High product Misty May-Treanor and her partner Kerri Walsh won yet again.

The duo claimed their 101st consecutive match and 18th straight title with a 21-14 and 21-18 victory on Sunday in the Long Beach Open over Newport Harbor product April Ross and Jennifer Boss.

“It’s always great to come back home,” said May-Treanor, a former standout at Long Beach State. “It’s nice to sleep in your own [home], see familiar faces.

“It was nice to be able to kick back. I think it was a great match to get under our belt before Beijing.”

May-Treanor and Walsh defended their Long Beach title. Now they will try to defend their gold medal. They won gold at the 2004 Games.

LOFGREN CLAIMS SILVER

LINZ, Austria — Esther Lofgren, a Newport Harbor product, helped the U.S. women’s four win the silver medal in the Senior Rowing World Championships Sunday.

The Americans fought back from the fourth position at the 500-meter mark, to finish in 6 minutes, 43.56 seconds. Belarus led the entire length of the course to finish first in a 6:39.89.

After a protest in the finish of the race, the Russian crew was excluded and Denmark was awarded the bronze medal, finishing with a time of 6:44.69. Italy crossed fourth in a 6:46.85, followed by Canada in a 6:50.99.

“It was the best race we’ve had up until now,” Lofgren told usrowing.org. “The last 500 meters, we just found the right gear. We are very, very happy.”

Lofgren served as an alternate at last year’s championships and won the eight at the 2008 FISA World Cup stop in Lucerne.

Newport Harbor High students A.J. Brooks and J.P. Hogan finished fourth, missing out on the bronze medal by just 0.54 seconds, in the men’s pair at the Junior Rowing World Championships Saturday.

They were the first U.S. tandem to reach the Grand Final in the junior pairs event.

It was a tight race, still Greece led from wire to wire to win the 2,000-meter Grand Final at 6 minutes, 54.27 seconds. Four crews were within a boat length of each other going into the last 250 meters, according to usrowing.org. Germany finished second in 6:56.57.

Australia and the U.S. battled it out for the third spot, with the Australians squeezing past in the final strokes for a time of 6:56.99. Hogan and Brooks, who row for Newport Aquatic Center, clocked a 6:57.53, followed by fifth-place France in a 7:03.59 and Slovenia in a 7:04.66.

LOCAL PAIR QUALIFIES

BEAUMONT — Locals Ryan Knapp and Camden Nicholson qualified for the TEE UP Junior Challenge after shooting a three-over-par 75 and five-over-par 77, respectively, at Oak Valley Golf Club Sunday.

Local Lauren Draganza, competing in the girls’ event, also qualified with a five-over-par 87.

The qualifying event was conducted by the American Junior Golf Association. The qualifier consisted of 80 boys and 20 girls, ages 12 to 18, from four states and Taiwan. Ninety-four were from California.

Knapp, a senior-to-be at Estancia High, shot a 36 on the front nine and 39 on the back nine. Nicholson, a senior-to-be at Corona del Mar, finished with a 38 and 39.

Draganza, who’s from Costa Mesa, shot a 45 on the front nine and 42 on the back nine.

The first round of the TEE UP Junior Challenge will be today at Oak Valley Golf Club starting at 7 a.m.

SLAMMERS STUNNED

The Slammers Futbol Club girls’ under-19 team lost, 2-1, to Force Football Club of Michigan in the title match at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in North Little Rock, Ark., Sunday.

Corona del Mar High product Taylor Fallon and Corona del Mar resident Jackie Zinke played for the Slammers, the club based in Newport Beach.

The Force scored twice in the final 13 minutes to overcome the Slammers’ 7th minute goal. Last year, the Slammers lost in the title game after the Force scored an injury-time goal to send it into overtime and eventually won in a shootout.

The So Cal Blues girls’ under-15 team, coached by Vanguard University head man Randy Dodge, lost to the Dallas Texans, 2-1, in the championship match.

— From staff reports