Association of Volleyball Professionals
Encyclopedia
The Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball
tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October.
August 13, 2010 - AVP suspended operations because of financial hardship. The investment group RJSM Partners, which was originally a minority investor in AVP, has had a controlling interest in it since April 2009.
The Tour will resume operations on October 22, 2011 in Huntington Beach for its inaugural AVP Championships event. Additional events under a new operational model are expected for 2012 and 2013.
One of the earliest tour sponsors was Miller Lite
beer and play involved a double-elimination format, with select tournaments sponsored by Jose Cuervo
tequila
offering additional prize money and a unique format that narrowed the field to the top 8 teams, which then played in a round-robin to determine the top two teams for the championship match. Only men were allowed to compete on the tour until the women's tour, the Women's Professional Volleyball Association which had a separate sponsorship with Coors
, ceased operations in the late 80's and a women's format was added to the AVP tour schedule.
The winningest men's teams in the history of the tour include Jim Menges/Greg Lee (70's), Sinjin Smith
/Randy Stoklos
(80's), Karch Kiraly
/Kent Steffes
(90's), and Todd Rogers
/Phil Dalhausser
(00's). After the merger of the AVP and the WPVA/BVA, the top women's teams include Holly McPeak
/Nancy Reno
(80's) and then McPeak with Elaine Youngs
(90's), Misty May/Kerri Walsh
, and Elaine Youngs
/Nicole Branaugh (00's), along with Rachel Wacholder-Scott and Jenn Kessy-Boss/April Ross
.
, or as everyone calls him, “Geeter”, is the announcer for the AVP tour. His enthusiasm makes him the perfect voice for the beach atmosphere while he also motivates the players to be their best by studying their personal lives and announcing exactly what they want to hear.
He was born in Northridge, CA on September 10, 1971, also known as the San Fernando Valley. He resides in Manhattan Beach, CA with his wife Jessica and his baby, Milly. Other than the AVP, he has announced for the Lakers and for the University of Southern California football games. He played volleyball in college at Cal State Northridge losing in the NCAA Finals to UCLA in 1993.
and Kent Steffes
. The AVP also begun to hold women's events, competing with the Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) tour.
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October.
August 13, 2010 - AVP suspended operations because of financial hardship. The investment group RJSM Partners, which was originally a minority investor in AVP, has had a controlling interest in it since April 2009.
The Tour will resume operations on October 22, 2011 in Huntington Beach for its inaugural AVP Championships event. Additional events under a new operational model are expected for 2012 and 2013.
History
The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) began on July 21, 1983, as an official players association to negotiate with private tournament promoters. The first AVP logo was designed by Ken Jencks and Steve Fisher of the Manhattan Beach Recreation Department. A few years later, a revised logo was designed by Rick Jurk.
One of the earliest tour sponsors was Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
beer and play involved a double-elimination format, with select tournaments sponsored by Jose Cuervo
Jose Cuervo
José Cuervo is a brand of tequila produced by Tequila Cuervo La Rojeña. The José Cuervo Especial brand has the highest sales of any tequila brand in theworld.- History :...
tequila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
offering additional prize money and a unique format that narrowed the field to the top 8 teams, which then played in a round-robin to determine the top two teams for the championship match. Only men were allowed to compete on the tour until the women's tour, the Women's Professional Volleyball Association which had a separate sponsorship with Coors
Coors
Coors Brewing Company, or Coors, is a division of the Molson Coors Brewing Company.Coors may also refer to:-Companies:*Adolph Coors Company, a former holding company controlled by the heirs of founder Adolph Coors...
, ceased operations in the late 80's and a women's format was added to the AVP tour schedule.
The winningest men's teams in the history of the tour include Jim Menges/Greg Lee (70's), Sinjin Smith
Sinjin Smith
Christopher St. John Smith is a professional Beach Volleyball player. He won one U.S. championship and two World championships with Randy Stoklos....
/Randy Stoklos
Randy Stoklos
Randy Stoklos is the first player to earn $1,000,000 in beach volleyball. He won one U.S. championship and two World championships with Sinjin Smith...
(80's), Karch Kiraly
Karch Kiraly
Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly , is an American volleyball player who is the only person to have won Olympic gold medals in both the indoor and beach versions of the sport.-High school career:...
/Kent Steffes
Kent Steffes
Kent Steffes is an American beach volleyball player. He was a gold medalist in the 1996 Summer Olympics along with Karch Kiraly. A graduate of Palisades High School in Pacific Palsiades, CA, he latter attended Stanford, and transferred to UCLA graduating with a degree in Economics...
(90's), and Todd Rogers
Todd Rogers
Todd Jonathan Rogers is an American professional beach volleyball player. He and his partner, Phil Dalhausser, were the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 AVP Tour champions, and are the reigning FIVB world champions, and reigning Olympic gold medalists from the Summer Olympics in Beijing.Rogers and...
/Phil Dalhausser
Phil Dalhausser
Philip "Phil" Peter Dalhausser is an American professional beach volleyball player. He and his playing partner, Todd Rogers, are the 2007 AVP Tour champions and the reigning FIVB world champions....
(00's). After the merger of the AVP and the WPVA/BVA, the top women's teams include Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak
Holly McPeak is an American beach volleyball player.McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1.4 million USD in career earnings, which are third and second respectively of any woman in the history of professional beach volleyball...
/Nancy Reno
Nancy Reno
Nancy Reno is a retired female beach volleyball player from the United States, who won the bronze medal at the 1997 World Championships in Los Angeles, California, partnering Karolyn Kirby...
(80's) and then McPeak with Elaine Youngs
Elaine Youngs
Elaine Youngs is an American beach volleyball player.As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with teammate Holly McPeak. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP.Youngs graduated from UCLA...
(90's), Misty May/Kerri Walsh
Kerri Walsh
Kerri Lee Walsh-Jennings is an American professional beach volleyball player.Walsh-Jennings and teammate Misty May-Treanor were the gold medalists in beach volleyball at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics...
, and Elaine Youngs
Elaine Youngs
Elaine Youngs is an American beach volleyball player.As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with teammate Holly McPeak. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP.Youngs graduated from UCLA...
/Nicole Branaugh (00's), along with Rachel Wacholder-Scott and Jenn Kessy-Boss/April Ross
April Ross
April Elizabeth Ross is an American professional beach volleyball player.-Early life:Ross was born in Costa Mesa, California on June 20, 1982 to Glen and the late Margie Ross. She has a sister, Amy....
.
Women
- Misty May-TreanorMisty May-TreanorMisty Erie May-Treanor is an American professional volleyball player. She has won more tournaments than any other female player with 107 career wins....
- Two-time Olympic gold medalist - Kerri WalshKerri WalshKerri Lee Walsh-Jennings is an American professional beach volleyball player.Walsh-Jennings and teammate Misty May-Treanor were the gold medalists in beach volleyball at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics...
- Two-time Olympic gold medalist - Holly McPeakHolly McPeakHolly McPeak is an American beach volleyball player.McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1.4 million USD in career earnings, which are third and second respectively of any woman in the history of professional beach volleyball...
- Olympic Bronze Medalist (retired) - Elaine YoungsElaine YoungsElaine Youngs is an American beach volleyball player.As of 2010, Youngs has won 51 professional beach volleyball tournaments in her career. In addition, she won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with teammate Holly McPeak. In 2002, she was named MVP of the AVP.Youngs graduated from UCLA...
- Olympic Bronze Medalist - Rachel Wacholder-ScottRachel WacholderRachel Scott is a model and beach volleyball player. She has eight beach volleyball championships with three partners, most recently with Tyra Turner in San Diego on the AVP Tour on August 3, 2008....
- Jennifer Kessy
- April RossApril RossApril Elizabeth Ross is an American professional beach volleyball player.-Early life:Ross was born in Costa Mesa, California on June 20, 1982 to Glen and the late Margie Ross. She has a sister, Amy....
- Tyra TurnerTyra TurnerTyra Turner is a professional beach volleyball player from the United States who plays on the AVP Tour....
- Tatiana "Tati" Minello
- Jenny Johnson JordanJenny Johnson JordanJenny Johnson Jordan is an American beach volleyball player, who won the silver medal at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Marseille, alongside Annett Davis.-Personal:...
- Annett DavisAnnett DavisAnnett Davis is an American beach volleyball player, who won the silver medal at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships, alongside Jenny Johnson Jordan.-Personal:...
- Suzanne StonebargerSuzanne StonebargerSuzanne Stonebarger is a professional American beach volleyball player. Stonebarger is an alumna of the University of Nevada-Reno, where she played college volleyball. At Nevada-Reno, Stonebarger met and played with her present-day teammate, Michelle More...
- Michelle MoreMichelle MoreMichelle More is a professional American beach volleyball player. Michelle grew up in Southern California and attended the University of Nevada-Reno. At Nevada-Reno, More met fellow volleyball player Suzanne Stonebarger, who is her beach volleyball teammate...
- Nicole BranaghNicole BranaghNicole Branagh is an American volleyball player. She played internationally for the US National team in indoor play and is currently playing beach volleyball professionally....
- Olympian - Angie AkersAngie AkersAngela "Angie" Akers is a professional beach volleyball player from the United States who plays on the AVP Tour. Akers was named the AVP Rookie of the Year in 2002....
Men
- Karch KiralyKarch KiralyCharles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly , is an American volleyball player who is the only person to have won Olympic gold medals in both the indoor and beach versions of the sport.-High school career:...
- 144 Open wins, 3-time Olympic gold medalist - Sinjin SmithSinjin SmithChristopher St. John Smith is a professional Beach Volleyball player. He won one U.S. championship and two World championships with Randy Stoklos....
- 92 AVP wins - Randy StoklosRandy StoklosRandy Stoklos is the first player to earn $1,000,000 in beach volleyball. He won one U.S. championship and two World championships with Sinjin Smith...
- 96 AVP wins - Tim Hovland- 46 AVP wins
- Mike DoddMike DoddMichael Dodd is a well-known retired professional beach volleyball player from the United States who attended San Diego State University. With his partner Mike Whitmarsh he won the silver medal in the men's inaugural beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics...
- 62 AVP wins - Kent SteffesKent SteffesKent Steffes is an American beach volleyball player. He was a gold medalist in the 1996 Summer Olympics along with Karch Kiraly. A graduate of Palisades High School in Pacific Palsiades, CA, he latter attended Stanford, and transferred to UCLA graduating with a degree in Economics...
- Phil DalhausserPhil DalhausserPhilip "Phil" Peter Dalhausser is an American professional beach volleyball player. He and his playing partner, Todd Rogers, are the 2007 AVP Tour champions and the reigning FIVB world champions....
- 2008 Olympic gold medalist - Mike Lambert
- Stein MetzgerStein MetzgerStein Metzger is a beach volleyball player from the United States, playing in the AVP. In 2006 he played with his high school teammate, Mike Lambert, and they advanced to the Final Four in fourteen of the fifteen team events, winning five times...
- Dax HoldrenDax HoldrenDax Holdren is an American professional beach volleyball player. Holdren is currently on the AVP tour playing with Jeff Nygaard....
- Jeff NygaardJeff NygaardJeff Wayne Nygaard is an American beach volleyball player who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics with partner Dain Blanton in Athens, Greece. In 1996 and 2000 he was a member of the Men's Olympic National Indoor Team.Jeff Nygaard attended Robert M...
- Jake GibbJake GibbJacob "Jake" Spiker Gibb is an American professional beach volleyball player, currently on the AVP Tour with current partner, Sean Rosenthal.With Rosenthal, they represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics....
- Matt FuerbringerMatt FuerbringerMatthew "Matt" Fuerbringer is an American beach volleyball player. Throughout his AVP career, he has teamed up with Casey Jennings.-Biography:...
- Casey JenningsCasey JenningsCasey Thomas Jennings is an American beach volleyball player. He teams up with Kevin Wong and has teamed up with Brad Keenan or Matt Fuerbringer during most of his career.-Personal life:...
- Todd RogersTodd RogersTodd Jonathan Rogers is an American professional beach volleyball player. He and his partner, Phil Dalhausser, were the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 AVP Tour champions, and are the reigning FIVB world champions, and reigning Olympic gold medalists from the Summer Olympics in Beijing.Rogers and...
- 2008 Olympic gold medalist - Dain BlantonDain BlantonDain Blanton is an American beach volleyball player won the gold medal in Beach Volleyball in the 2000 Olympic Games, with partner Eric Fonoimoana. He returned to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece with partner Jeff Nygaard, becoming the first and only two-time U.S...
- Eric FonoimoanaEric FonoimoanaEric Fonoimoana is an American volleyball player who currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California. He was born in Manhattan Beach, California, and attended UCSB, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity . He is most notable for winning the gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games. He has...
- Sean Scott
- Adam Johnson
Chris (Geeter) McGee
Chris McGeeChris McGee
Chris McGee is the MC of the Association of Volleyball Professionals.McGee is the person who introduces the players at the finals of the AVP tournaments.McGee has been the AVP spokesperson for the past eight years....
, or as everyone calls him, “Geeter”, is the announcer for the AVP tour. His enthusiasm makes him the perfect voice for the beach atmosphere while he also motivates the players to be their best by studying their personal lives and announcing exactly what they want to hear.
He was born in Northridge, CA on September 10, 1971, also known as the San Fernando Valley. He resides in Manhattan Beach, CA with his wife Jessica and his baby, Milly. Other than the AVP, he has announced for the Lakers and for the University of Southern California football games. He played volleyball in college at Cal State Northridge losing in the NCAA Finals to UCLA in 1993.
1980s
- 1983 On July 21, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is formed to protect players' interests and to preserve the integrity of beach volleyball.
- 1984 Players strike at the World Championships in Redondo Beach. The AVP begins running its own tour.
- 1985 Bolle Sunglasses joins the AVP as a major sponsor. The total tour prize money reaches $275,000.
- 1985 The AVP Tour includes stops in eight states ( California, Florida, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Hawaii).
- 1986 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball receives cable television coverage via "Prime Ticket", and Pro Beach Volleyball makes its network debut on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
- 1988 The AVP awards cash prizes for twenty-seven tournaments. The AVP signs a three-year contract with Miller that results in a total of $4.5 million in prize money. Miller hires the AVP to produce twenty-three Lite Beer events.
1990s
The early to mid 90's are seen by many as the "glory years" of the AVP as the tour corporate sponsorship, and thus, prize money, was at its peak. This period was largely dominated by the team of volleyball legend Karch KiralyKarch Kiraly
Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly , is an American volleyball player who is the only person to have won Olympic gold medals in both the indoor and beach versions of the sport.-High school career:...
and Kent Steffes
Kent Steffes
Kent Steffes is an American beach volleyball player. He was a gold medalist in the 1996 Summer Olympics along with Karch Kiraly. A graduate of Palisades High School in Pacific Palsiades, CA, he latter attended Stanford, and transferred to UCLA graduating with a degree in Economics...
. The AVP also begun to hold women's events, competing with the Women's Professional Volleyball Association (WPVA) tour.
- 1990 NBC Sports makes its debut on the beach volleyball scene, broadcasting the Hermosa Beach event.
- 1991 The AVP adds the King of the Beach Event to their schedule. This event features a unique format where players play round-robin with different partners to determine the "King of the Beach." One of the event's creators, Karch Kiraly, wins the inaugural title.
- 1991 NBC Sports provides the first live coverage of an AVP tournament in Milwaukee.
- 1993 NBC Sports broadcasts a record ten AVP Tour events in a year in which prize money totals $3.7 million and more than 600,000 people attend AVP tournaments.
- 1993 AVP holds women's events at sixteen of the men's tour stops. In a unique format, eight players comprising four teams, exchanging partners weekly, battle all season with prize money paid at the end of the year. Holly McPeak wins the tour championship with eleven victories to claim the $65,000 first prize.
- 1994 The Miller Lite/AVP Tour and its twenty-seven events approach the $4 million mark in total prize money. Evian and Nestea join the growing list of AVP sponsors with Evian opting for an indoor event in Madison Square Garden.
- 1994 NBC's total broadcast time climbs to twenty-one hours for ten events.
- 1995 The Miller Lite/AVP Tour grows to a record twenty-nine tournaments. The Evian Indoor Series becomes a full pre-season circuit, with events in Washington, DC, Boston, Minneapolis and New York.
- 1996 AVP teams dominate the U.S. Olympic Trials in Baltimore with the teams of Karch Kiraly/Kent Steffes and Mike Dodd/ Mike Whitmarsh advancing as the U.S. Olympic Team representatives.
- 1997 The 38th annual Manhattan Beach Open is canceled due to legal issues and a lawsuit brought against the City of Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County, and the AVP by a small local interest group. The event is moved down the coast to Hermosa Beach and renamed the Miller Lite Hermosa Beach Grand Slam.
- 1997 The AVP business collapses under mounting financial problems. AVP CEO Jerry Solomon is fired and Harry UsherHarry UsherHarry Lester Usher was an American attorney who was the second and last commissioner of the United States Football League . He was also the executive vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee , which oversaw the business operations of the 1984 Summer Olympics...
, former US Olympic organizer is hired to run 1998 AVP Tour. - 1998 Prize money is drastically cut as sponsors pull back on their support of the AVP. The AVP continues to struggle under extreme financial burden.
- 1998 Bill Berger and Dan Vrebalovich take over management of the AVP as CEO and COO respectively. They immediately fund the day to day business, and begin to restructure the AVP from a players association to a for-profit, privately owned entity. The AVP is placed into chapter 11 bankruptcy, the players are signed to new long-term agreements as independent contractors and a long-term turnaround deal is agreed to by the AVP's creditors.
- 1999 Berger and Vrebalovich form a partnership with Spencer Trask Securities to form Major League Volleyball. MLV purchases the AVP out of bankruptcy and funds the 1999 Tour. The AVP holds twelve events with a total of $1 million prize money.
- 1999 The AVP once again sanctions women's events at five men's tournament tour stops. At the season ending event, combined with the King of the Beach, Holly McPeak is crowned Queen of the Beach.
2000 and Up
- 2000 In a season of parity, eight different teams win tournaments in the eleven event season. Brazilian's Jose Loiola and Emanuel Rego top the season with three victories.
- 2001 AVP unites the world's best men's and women's professional beach volleyball players under one umbrella organization. With this historic unification of the men's and women's competition, the 2001 AVP Tour will be able to capitalize on having one property that can maximize sponsor dollars, marketing opportunities, media coverage and prize money. The AVP will now stand alone as the only professional beach volleyball tour in the country. It will follow the regulations set forth by USA Volleyball and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) and will allow its players to compete in official tournaments en route to the 2004 Olympics.
- 2007 Hot Winter Nights, a series of 19 events in January and February, marks the first ever indoor beach volleyball tour.
- 2010 AVP cancels season just before Manhattan Beach Open due to lack of financial means.