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AVP professional beach volleyball returns to Hermosa Beach July 7

June 30, 2023

The Association of Volleyball Professionals is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with tournaments across the country — including a return to LA County’s beach cities beginning next week.

The AVP’s Hermosa Beach tournament will begin Friday, July 7, while the one in Manhattan Beach is set for August.

There will be 16 women’s and men’s teams competing for titles and a $125,000 purse from July 7 to 9, with that tournament taking place next to the Hermosa Beach Pier. The future of the sport — the AVP Juniors — will also compete next week, with that competition beginning a few days before the professionals get underway.

In the 2022 tournament, Chaim Schalk and Theo Brunner were victorious in the men’s bracket, defeating Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander. Sarah Sponcil and Terese Cannon took home the women’s title last year, but are not competing in this year’s tournament, according to the AVP.

The defending champs have new partners this year, with Schalk now competing with Tri Bourne and Brunner with Trevor Crabb.

While the Manhattan Beach AVP is known as the “granddaddy” of beach volleyball tournaments, the first AVP tournament took place in Hermosa Beach in 1984, according to avp.com. The first women’s tournament in Hermosa Beach was in 1993.

The AVP Juniors National Championships, from Wednesday, July 5, to July 9, in Hermosa Beach, “involves hundreds of teams flying in from around the country that have been competing all spring and early summer to be crowned junior champion,” said AVP CEO Al Lau.

Sarah Sponcil digs for the ball as she and Terese Cannon win against Kelly Cheng and Betsi Flint in the AVP Hermosa Beach Open women’s final on Sunday, July 10, 2022. The event returns to Hermosa Beach on July 7, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Theo Brunner digs for the ball as he and Chaim Schalk win in the AVP Hermosa Beach Open men’s final against Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander on Sunday, July 10, 2022. The open returns to Hermosa Beach July 7, 2023.
(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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The juniors event includes boys and girls divisions, featuring players from 12 to 18 years old.

Along with USA Volleyball, the AVP hosts a U.S. Beach Club Championship, which also features youth volleyball players and takes place in Hermosa Beach from July 9 to 11.

“When you look at next weekend in Hermosa,” Lau said, “it’s not only the AVP pros, people aspiring to go to the Olympics next year in Paris, there’s (also) that element of the next generation represented.”

The AVP action on the sand will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

All main draw matches on Stadium Court will stream live on ESPN+ and all matches played on Courts 1 and 2 will be available live on the Bally Live app, according to an AVP press release.

Live coverage of the women’s and men’s finals of the Hermosa Beach Open is scheduled for Sunday, July 9, starting at 1 p.m. on ESPNU.

Admission to the AVP is free, but Club AVP and courtside boxes have limited availability.

Orange County Register

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AVP professional beach volleyball returns to Hermosa Beach July 7

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