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AVP/FIVB Beach Volleyball, anyone?

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wood 11225

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Just watched Crabb/Sander vs Budinger/Evans. Obscene athleticism & skills from the Taylors. Check out the swing by Sander at 10-6 in the 2nd set. Absolutely sick. These guys are so much fun to watch. 

I gotta go to Hermosa.

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BadgerHorn

BadgerHorn 147

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On 5/19/2023 at 8:12 PM, BadgerHorn said:

And there was one other body change that I wasn't aware of. 

April Ross finally announced today that she’s pregnant. I did some quick internet querying while out there to make sure I hadn't missed something. It was kind of bizarre as no one there said anything. It wasn’t much of an announcement for anyone at Huntington as it looks like she’s 6-7 months in.

She was coaching Scoles and Flint who made it to the finals. 

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BadgerHorn

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Starting to hit the home stretch of the AVP season with the Gold Series starting up in Atlanta next weekend. Any of you guys going to the remaining events?

Looks like Elite 16 in Hamburg will create conflicts with MBO for a few teams. 

Do we need to be concerned that the site and details for the 9/22-23 AVP Championship is still TBD?

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BadgerHorn

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Another rain delay... same thing last year right?... ugh... I just don't understand the Gold Series stop in Atlanta.  Best case, you've got uncomfortable hot, humid August weather.  Worst case, you've got almost guaranteed afternoon thunderstorms and, granted it's a ways inland, but you're on the front end of hurricane season.  I don't know - maybe I'm missing something.  I travel to these AVPs and have never felt a desire to go to Atlanta in Aug.

TKN smoked the Canadians again.  Looked more or less like a replay of their earlier match, albeit more dominating.  Mel struggling to side out again? 8 hitting errors today - can't afford that with Nuss digging everything else.  Montreal Elite 16 hangover?  Kloth tallied more kills than I would have guessed.  Did they try serving her?

Then Partain/Benesh smoked CBud and other Miles.  9 hitting errors in two sets for Evans... ouch

I feel obligated to propose an alternative in light of my Atlanta grouching comments above.  Below is a first cut at my idealized AVP schedule below... and, yes, I'm aware you don't just pick a city and make an AVP event happen.  Trying to combine places with active volleyball communities, attractive location for travelers, large enough to support a profitable event, etc.

 

Annual stops:

- Tampa/Clearwater

- Austin (I get why AVP/players didn't like Krieg, but you need at least one annual stop in TX)

- New Orleans

- Hermosa Beach

- Hawaii (It'd be nice for the HI players to play in front of a home crowd)

- Manhattan Beach

- Chicago

- San Diego

 

Championship:

- alternating between South Bay, San Diego, TX.  I'd like to put one in FL, but hard to plan an outdoor fall championship in hurricane season

 

Alternating year stops:

- Miami/Ft Lauderdale

- Washington/Vancouver

- DFW/San Antonio/Houston

- FL Panhandle / Gulf Shores

- Washington DC / NYC / Rehoboth Beach

- Huntington / Santa Barbara

- Bradford Beach, Milwaukee / Denver, CO

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wood

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47 minutes ago, BadgerHorn said:

Another rain delay... same thing last year right?... ugh... I just don't understand the Gold Series stop in Atlanta.  Best case, you've got uncomfortable hot, humid August weather.  Worst case, you've got almost guaranteed afternoon thunderstorms and, granted it's a ways inland, but you're on the front end of hurricane season.  I don't know - maybe I'm missing something.  I travel to these AVPs and have never felt a desire to go to Atlanta in Aug.

TKN smoked the Canadians again.  Looked more or less like a replay of their earlier match, albeit more dominating.  Mel struggling to side out again? 8 hitting errors today - can't afford that with Nuss digging everything else.  Montreal Elite 16 hangover?  Kloth tallied more kills than I would have guessed.  Did they try serving her?

Then Partain/Benesh smoked CBud and other Miles.  9 hitting errors in two sets for Evans... ouch

I feel obligated to propose an alternative in light of my Atlanta grouching comments above.  Below is a first cut at my idealized AVP schedule below... and, yes, I'm aware you don't just pick a city and make an AVP event happen.  Trying to combine places with active volleyball communities, attractive location for travelers, large enough to support a profitable event, etc.

 

Annual stops:

- Tampa/Clearwater

- Austin (I get why AVP/players didn't like Krieg, but you need at least one annual stop in TX)

- New Orleans

- Hermosa Beach

- Hawaii (It'd be nice for the HI players to play in front of a home crowd)

- Manhattan Beach

- Chicago

- San Diego

 

Championship:

- alternating between South Bay, San Diego, TX.  I'd like to put one in FL, but hard to plan an outdoor fall championship in hurricane season

 

Alternating year stops:

- Miami/Ft Lauderdale

- Washington/Vancouver

- DFW/San Antonio/Houston

- FL Panhandle / Gulf Shores

- Washington DC / NYC / Rehoboth Beach

- Huntington / Santa Barbara

- Bradford Beach, Milwaukee / Denver, CO

Agree completely re: the schedule, and yeah, Krieg sucks ass, esp compared to Auditorium Shores, which is where it used to be held.  My 19 yo played in his first beach tourney at Krieg yesterday, and man, he & his teammate couldn't have picked worse conditions for their first event. 100+ degrees, gusty AF, on shitty, dirty sand. It was brutal. I guess they can only go up from there.

I do hope the AVP is ok though. It's just not what it used to be. I think the FIVB shutting them out of the olympic qualy process back in the 90s, + the rule changes, have really stolen their soul.

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wood

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On 8/18/2023 at 3:58 PM, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Yeah, says a lot about AVP’s standing when the #1 female team chose not to make an appearance. 

Yeah in a weird way, the AVP was really fucked in the long run by beach volleyball becoming an Olympic sport, in multiple ways. FIVB tournaments suddenly become more important to top teams than AVP tournaments. The rule changes in 1996 didn't help either. The game's a shell now of what it used to be. Some people have been running tournaments with the old rules, and it seems to be picking up steam. Adam Johnson has run some at Aussie's, and they're very popular. I've heard they've been having some out in Hermosa, Manhattan, Huntington, etc, too. At this point, the AVP should just go back to the old school rules and put on the best show with the most entertaining brand of volleyball. Their tourneys don't count for Quals anyway.

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BadgerHorn

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Some of my MBO observations:

Trevor got a yellow for slapping the net... with Taylor lobbying the ref to give him the card.  The fans laughed.

The Taylors and Tri/Chaim are trying to sprinkle in option offense, but they all look at least a year behind Benesh/Partain in that dept.

Not sure if it was the rain packed sand or confidence or what, but Taylor Sander was uncorking a few serves Sunday in the second championship set like I hadn't seen from him since the AVP Championships indoor in Phoenix last year - granted, I don't watch every AVP/FIVB event.  The pace is obvious, but he also adds that dangerous lateral break that some of the indoor guys have.  It's not just a 12-6 curve - it looks like more of a slider with lateral break too.  Thank God I'm not receiving those.

Sponcil was out there walking around Fri I think.  Curious to see what she and Cannon do at Chicago and for any other FIVB events.  Lots of talk (no idea how legitimate it is) about her joining forces with Klineman.

Zana was swinging harder than I've seen in the past.

My forecast: the next six or so months is going to be chaotic for pairings on the women's side below Cheng/Hughes and Kloth/Nuss.  You can sense there are numerous teams that are either unhappy or just ok with one another or losing out on the Olympic race and you need that one domino to fall before you have half a dozen new teams (but the same names) in the main draws.  There are a few guys I could see parting ways too, but seems like more stability on the men's side right now.

I'd love to see Scoles take some time to work out as a defender.  Obvious problem is: where do you find a good enough (presumably American) big who will work with her?  Kolinske?  Maybe pick up Cannon for a year?  Split block with Kraft?  Try to lure a Klineman/KWJ?

Talked to a few people about the championship location.  A few people who probably would know either didn't say anything or they sincerely didn't know what's going on.  The fan rumor mill is basically "assuming the bankruptcy/sale doesn't deep six the 'TBD Championship', the odds are on it being held in Vegas".

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wood

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32 minutes ago, BadgerHorn said:

Not sure if it was the rain packed sand or confidence or what, but Taylor Sander was uncorking a few serves Sunday in the second championship set like I hadn't seen from him since the AVP Championships indoor in Phoenix last year - granted, I don't watch every AVP/FIVB event.  The pace is obvious, but he also adds that dangerous lateral break that some of the indoor guys have.  It's not just a 12-6 curve - it looks like more of a slider with lateral break too.  Thank God I'm not receiving those.

This is one of the things I miss the most about the old rules. With the smaller court and rally scoring, very few guys now are willing or able to let their nuts hang on jumpserves the way they used to. I was telling my kid about it yesterday. You just see very few of the current players who can use the jumpserve as a weapon very often, if at all. Re: that lateral breaking jumper, that reminds me one of my favorite servers of all time - Brian Lewis. Lewy and Eric Fonoimoana, Karch, Stein, Loiola, Ayakatuby nd more ... 

People would show up to some of those guys' matches just for the serving exhibition alone. Sander would have fit right in in that era. He'd be lethal from the line, too.

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BadgerHorn

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Ran into Phil last night where he was sitting in the entrance of a restaurant waiting for a table.  Apparently not enough Olympic and World Tour medals to skip the line.  Watching Drost and Phil split block on a few occasions: insert "bold strategy, Cotton" gif

In this world of taller and longer on the guys side, it's fun to watch someone like Nuss scramble around, anticipate the right spot on defense at a nearly uncanny rate, and place shots with precision and creativity.

I'm going to play a bit of Ian Boyd by proposing a position switch.  I think Julia Scoles has a ton of potential as a defender if she can piece it together. It may be her mannerisms and I know she's a very active blocker, but she always looks exhausted... you can't be tired in your mid 20s right?

Hughes and Cheng are clearly messing around with injecting option elements into the offense, but haven't fully bought in.  Not sure that's necessary for the women's game.

Unfortunately no Sponcil/Cannon, but that wasn't really news.  Curious to see what happens with Harward/Kolinske over the coming months with Klineman and FIVB.  HH/KK got smoked in the second set against the Canadians.  Didn't see it, so not sure what happened there.

Agree on Brandi's hair.  Not sure how she did it - probably an extra 5 lbs to carry around.

Not sure if they showed it on TV and about 95% of the fans in the stands missed it.  Theo had a nice play and, for whatever reason, Trevor didn't give him a high five as he was turned to the ball boy to get the ball to serve.  Theo followed him for a few steps to give him a high five and when he realized Trevor wasn't going to turn around, he just gave him an air high five to his back and jogged back to the net.  Gotta love Theo.

Still no concrete news about a championship.

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shadow_operative2.0

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@BadgerHorn is bummin'. 

Quote

SCHEDULE UPDATE

2023 Championship
 
Despite our best efforts, we regret that we were unable to secure a suitable location and time to hold the AVP Championship this year. The 2023 season will conclude with the AVP Tour Series Laguna Beach Open from October 13-15.

We look forward to sharing exciting news about the 2024 Season in the weeks to come. 

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BadgerHorn

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1 minute ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

@BadgerHorn is bummin'. 

Yep, just saw that email.  I got to three AVP events and one UT Beach event this year.  Looking forward to seeing both schedules next year.  Still some FIVB activity coming and I'm expecting a fair amount of partner swapping the next several months.

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BadgerHorn

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9 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

That is embarrassing for the tour. You only need one fucking court for the Finals, that shit could be played in a fucking parking lot with some sand trucked in. 

19 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Despite our best efforts, we regret that we were unable to secure a suitable location and time an approval from whomever owns us (and therefore the cash) to hold the AVP Championship this year.

FIFY

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wood

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Yeah, lack of money was my first thought as well.

Final event being at Laguna is a little embarrassing, too imho. Sure, very nice place, but very tight quarters. Seems like it'd be pretty hard to even park for that one.

AVP needs to just say 'fuck it' and set themselves apart by going back to the old rules with a much more entertaining product. Market it as 'real' beach volleyball for real athletes, with the rules set by the country that created the sport. They don't count for olympic quals anyway (which is fucking bullshit since we invented the got damn sport), so why not.

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Geeter's enthusiasm knows know bounds. Schuermann is awesome too, and a very quick wit. Both good guys, too. I remember Jim Arico having a bit more of a laid-back style.

Looks like Arico and Geeter went to a Dodgers game. Fuck the Dodgers.

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My kid starts working out with AJ soon, so I was showing him a lot of old video like this. He loves the old stuff just like we do. It was just better. 

ETA: Oh yeah, I was at that match. Only time I ever went to that tournament. We did Hermosa a bunch of times though. Fun weekend. Took my family to the Kettle back in June this year. Such a great breakfast.

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BadgerHorn

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https://avp.com/wp-content/uploads/AVP-Announces-Professional-Beach-Volleyball-League_111323.pdf

I'm struggling to understand 1) how the league format will work 2) what the draw is 3) why they published this via pdf instead of a web page. Seems to me like they are following the path NASCAR took in trying to force a league and playoff format into a sport that did not need it.

The Heritage Series sounds promising, though they are extremely vague. Would be interesting if they included some 9x9 court dimension for 2v2, 4v4, coed teams, mixing partners. Lots of opportunities to explore - I just hope they don't get gimmicky in their pursuit of growth. 

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shadow_operative2.0

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Little recency bias in the men's voting. 

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When it comes to the fan vote for favorite teams, it should be no surprise that icons Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings took the top honors for the women.

The big surprise in this vote, and perhaps a sign of a generational shift, are Andy Benesh and Miles Partain capturing the favorite men's team vote by exactly ONE VOTE over Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes and Phil Dalhausser/Sean Rosenthal who both tied for second place. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ptCqeLGjC/

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3 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Little recency bias in the men's voting. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ptCqeLGjC/

jaguar-fan.gif

Yeah they don't know shit. Karch = GOAT. The MJ of volleytball, and played in a more difficult era of the beach game, too. 

Peak Karch & Kent, among others, would cut Benesh/Partain to ribbons, even with the current rules. My top 9:

KK/Steffes, Smith/Stoklos

Menges/Lee, Phil/Rogers, Von Hagen/ Lang, Santos/Rego, Hovie/Dodd, Rosie/Gibb, Mol/Sorum

I can't see Benesh/Partian even cracking into that group or even my top 20 or 30, really.

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Schedule released, I guess  .... 

No Hermosa? Pfft.

https://volleyballmag.com/2024-avp-schedule-announcement-020724/

2024 AVP Schedule released, including details on new AVP League

AVP-2024-schedule.jpg

Spoiler

The 2024 AVP schedule has officially been released, and it includes a bit of the familiar, a smattering of tweaks, and the establishment of the new: a beach volleyball league that will be the first of its kind.

2024 AVP schedule
Three marquee events, known as Heritage Series, which will look and feel a lot like the erstwhile Gold Series, highlight the summer, in Huntington Beach (May 17-19), Manhattan Beach (August 16-18) and Chicago (August 30-September 1). That is the familiar.

The smattering of tweaks consist in mostly name changes — Gold Series to Heritage Series, Tour Series to Contender Events — and the qualification processes to enter into each Heritage Series. Three Contender Series — Denver July 6-7, Waupaca July 13-14, and Virginia Beach August 3-4 — round out the summer of six tournaments.

A few format changes, too, are in store. The Contenders will feature 24 teams, as the Tour Series did, but will be played in a double-elimination format as opposed to modified pool play, which was used in 2023.

Of particular, and positive, note is the lack of conflicts. None of the three Heritage Series conflict with a Volleyball World event of substance, meaning every tournament this summer is expected to have a full field. While Denver and Waupaca conflict with the Gstaad and Vienna Elite16s, respectively, the teams who will be in Switzerland and Austria would not be competing in a Contender event, so there is no real conflict there.

As the Tour Series events served as qualifiers into the Gold and Pro Series the last two seasons, so the Contenders will serve as qualifiers for the Heritage in 2024. Huntington is the only Heritage without an accompanying Contender event, so the 16-team double-elimination tournament at one of the sport’s most popular stops will have an on-site qualifier in which four teams can make the main draw.

After that, Denver, with the familiar 24-team main draw known to Tour Series players, will serve as a qualifier for Manhattan Beach, with the top four teams advancing into the 32-team main draw. Waupaca, the annual festival of volleyball in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will also serve as a qualifier for Manhattan, with its top four teams advancing into the main draw. The top four finishers in Virginia Beach will claim a spot into the season-ending Heritage Series in Chicago, which will remain a 16-team draw.

Like Huntington, Manhattan will have an on-site qualifier, with eight additional teams advancing to the main draw, to accompany the four bids earned from Denver and Waupaca.
But it is in September, after the Chicago Heritage Series, that the most sizable change will take place with the onset of the AVP League.

Eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams will extend their season to compete in the inaugural AVP League, competing for eight different cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Dallas, Miami, Palm Beach, New York, and Brooklyn. Each city will feature one women’s pair and one men’s pair and, it is relevant to note, the athletes will not have to relocate to those cities to train. The matches will be held on eight consecutive weekends, and each team will play four of the weekends, with four off weeks, each weekend consisting of a Saturday match and a Sunday match.

After the eight weeks of the League, the top four teams will advance to the League Championship on November 9-10, at a location still to be determined.

There are three potential routes for teams to qualify for the League: Win a Heritage Series, accrue enough points as a team using two of their top three finishes from Heritage Series, or wild card, which the AVP League can use on two teams per gender.

The details for the League — prize money, how the draft will work, who coaches each franchise, to name a few — will, according to the AVP, be released in the coming weeks.

 

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