NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. & LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), the nation’s premier beach volleyball tour, is proud to announce a groundbreaking new partnership with the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), the international governing body responsible for all forms of volleyball. The FIVB Huntington Beach Open will be held right in the heart of “Surf City” from May 2 - 6, 2018 and brings the best international athletes to American soil, uniting the sport of beach volleyball on a global scale.
Bringing the American premier pro beach volleyball tour together with the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour provides new opportunities for the sport and its athletes. This partnership, which is also supported by USA Volleyball (USAV), the national governing body of volleyball in the U.S., lays the foundation for future collaboration, providing U.S. athletes an opportunity to compete and hone their skills on the international stage, ultimately creating a stronger pipeline of American beach volleyball athletes for the Olympic Games.
“World class beach volleyball competition and entertainment is the core of our business and we are excited to partner with the FIVB in Huntington Beach like never before. We anticipate the event to be bigger than ever and we look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the FIVB for many years to come," says Donald Sun, managing partner, AVP.
Established in 1983, the AVP has had 30-plus years of rich history creating, staging, and marketing some of the most innovative and engaging sporting events in North America. The competition model in Huntington Beach will be the first of its kind - a hybrid of the FIVB’s 4-Star format and adaptation of the AVP double-elimination format. Along with the double-elimination structure, this event, for the first time in FIVB history, will have an open qualification process for all countries registered. Nations from across the globe will send their best to compete on the sand of Huntington Beach, including: USA’s Jake Gibb and double Olympic medalist April Ross, Brazilian 2015 world champions and Rio 2016 Olympic medalists Agatha Bednarczuk and Bruno Schmidt, Italy’s Rio 2016 Olympic silver medalist Paolo Nicolai, Canada’s current FIVB World Ranking leader Sarah Pavan, and many more.
FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° says: “Our partnership with the AVP at the FIVB Huntington Beach Open is a great opportunity to continue to grow beach volleyball in the United States, a key market for the sport. Athletes and fans can look forward to a spectacular event in California at the beginning of May and the FIVB will continue to work with the AVP and USA Volleyball to bring beach volleyball to an ever-growing audience worldwide.”
“USA Volleyball is proud to support the AVP and FIVB during this Huntington Beach event. It is wonderful for our National team athletes to have another opportunity to compete in a world-class event on American soil and I am convinced that this will be a great event for the players and fans alike,” says Jamie Davis, CEO for USAV.
In addition to watching world-class athletes battle for the international podium, fans can enjoy an interactive sponsor village experience, including: free falling into the AVP Jump Zone, partaking in top local food options, visiting AVP’s new wine and beer garden right on the sand (age 21+, ID required), bouncing in the kid-friendly bounce house, dancing the day away with tunes provided by AVP-icon DJ Roueche, and more. Plus, the FIVB Huntington Beach Open will showcase a brand-new stadium with more general admission seating and multiple adult beverage stands that are open to the public. With AVP at the helm, this event is sure to be “Not Your Average Day at the Beach.”
As with all AVP events, general admission is free for everyone. Attendees looking for a more elevated experience with luxurious seating, food, drinks, and amazing court views, can purchase VIP tickets, selecting from Club AVP, The Deck, Courtside Box, or Courtside Cabana levels. To learn more and/or to purchase VIP tickets, please visit www.AVP.com/Tickets/Huntington-Beach.
Get more information about the tournament and follow live scoring for every match at www.AVP.com.
For fans and followers unable to attend, tune in to www.AVP.com/Live to watch all stadium court matches as well as the finals on NBCSN, Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 4 p.m. PST.
Follow @AVPBeach on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat to stay up-to-date and get behind-the-scenes access with your favorite athletes.
About AVP
Established in 1983 and currently headquartered in Southern California, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) is the world's premier beach volleyball organization. The AVP today is comprised of four divisions: AVP Academy, AVPNext, the AVP Pro Tour, and their non-profit 501(c)3 organization, AVPFirst. With a 35-year rich history in creating, staging, and marketing some of the most innovative and engaging sporting events in North America, the AVP has successfully developed an annual circuit that is not just a sporting event, but a lifestyle as well. The AVP has been the home of some of the most respected athletes in professional sports, including: gold medalists Karch Kiraly, Kent Steffes, Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Todd Rogers, and Phil Dalhausser. For more information, please visit www.AVP.com.
About FIVB
The FIVB is the governing body responsible for all forms of volleyball on a global level. Working closely with national federations and private enterprises, the FIVB aims to develop volleyball as a major world media and entertainment sport through world-class planning and organization of competitions, marketing, and development activities. The FIVB is part of the Olympic movement, contributing to the success of the Olympic Games. For more information, please visit www.FIVB.com.
