Local beach boy having fun, fun, fun

Victoria Sun

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2001 | 11:43 a.m.

The beach at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, replete with sand, a wave pool and other faux beach scenery, is the closest you'll find in Las Vegas to the real thing.

Growing up in Las Vegas, 27-year-old Scott Lane didn't get to enjoy the replica beach because the hotel didn't open until 1999.

By that time, Lane had already found his way to real beaches in Southern California.

In 1996, Lane moved to Huntington Beach, Calif., to become a professional beach volleyball player.

"I love it," said Lane, a rookie on the pro tour. "I always dreamed about playing on the AVP Tour while I was in Las Vegas. Now I'm playing with the guys I used to watch in videos."

Paired with Chad Mowery at the Huntington Beach Open and Clark High School graduate Casey Jennings at Virginia Beach, Lane finished a career-best ninth in both events for a total of $3,050.

Most importantly, Lane earned enough AVP Tour points to avoid having to qualify at the remaining tournaments this season. One day, Lane hopes he will be eligible to play in the season ending AVP King /Queen of the Beach featuring the top 14 men and women's players that will be played at the Hard Rock Hotel Sept. 7-9.

In Huntington, Lane and Mowery pushed Olympic gold medalists Eric Fonoimoana and Dain Blanton to three games in a match for seventh place before losing 15-13 in the final game.

Lane and Jennings came close to toppling top-seeded former Olympic silver medalist Mike Whitmarsh and Canyon Ceman in the second round in New Jersey. In the decisive third game, Whitmarsh and Ceman prevailed 15-12. "I'm super more confident now because I know I can play with those guys," Lane said. "I'm definitely not the best. (But) hopefully if I keep pushing, I'll get there."

Lane's journey from the desert to the beach wasn't meticulously planned.

At Basic High School, the 6-foot-6 Lane played basketball until his senior year when he joined the volleyball team for something to do.

After that, he enrolled at Nevada-Reno and walked on to the men's basketball team. He made it through one semester, then quit to play on UNR's club volleyball team from 1992-'94.

"I never even imagined I'd be a volleyball player," Lane said. "No way.

"I guess I didn't like the running anymore (basketball). In practice I was getting beat down by guys 6-7, 250, people stronger than I was, and honestly better than I was.

"When I got back into volleyball I started playing and realized I could still be athletic without the physical contact."

After two years at UNR, Lane returned home and became a UPS driver while studying part-time at UNLV.

In between school and work, Lane's devotion to volleyball blossomed, and he spent a lot of time playing at the now closed Las Vegas Volleyball Club and Sunset Park.

At the suggestion of a friend, he quit his job, moved to California and played volleyball for two years at Golden West J.C. from 1996-'98.

With two years of eligibility remaining, he transferred to Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, a Division II program, to get more experience. In 1999, IPWF lost to volleyball powerhouse Long Beach State in the NCAA Final Four.

Lane laughs at the mention that he was on the eight-year college plan.

"It's not like I got recruited by others to play," Lane said. "That was kind of the trail I had to go by."

While playing in the Final Four on national TV, Lane earned the respect and understanding of his parents, John and Gale.

"My parents have definitely helped me out," Lane said. "The whole thing with them is, they didn't know anything about volleyball and what I was trying to do back in the day.

"Nobody in my family had any confidence as far as what I was doing. Once I went to IPFW and made it to the Final Four, they watched it and saw me play for the first time. Now they're super proud."

In time, Lane hopes to earn enough money so that he can be able to afford simple luxuries such as going to the movies or new clothes. Beach volleyball is one sport where the athletes must pay for all of their travel expenses.

"I'm not making enough money, but enough to pay the rent. I'm in it because I'm confident that the tour will get better. The money is going to get better. Next year there are going to be 12 stops instead of eight and more money."