Schwartz: Beach Volleyball Hits Manhattan This Week

By Peter Schwartz
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When you think about Summer Olympic sports that would have a tune-up event in the New York/New Jersey area, one might think of basketball at Madison Square Garden, tennis at Arthur Ashe Stadium or soccer at MetLife Stadium. But sometimes you have to think out of the box and see if something else might work.  If you can have wrestling in Times Square, why not beach volleyball on the West Side of Manhattan?

For the second straight year, that's exactly what's going to happen as the AVP New York City Open returns Thursday through Sunday at Pier 25/26 in Hudson River Park.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, silver medalist April Ross and gold medalist Phil Dalhausser, along with top-ranked players Nick Lucena and brothers Taylor and Trevor Crabb, will be on hand in one of the last times volleyball fans can see the Olympians play before they make their way to Brazil for the Rio games.

"The sport is actually very popular here," said Donald Sun, CEO of the Association of Volleyball Professionals. "All you have to do is to look at the courts at places like Coney Island and Jones Beach and on the Jersey shore to see how strong and fun a game it is."

The event begins Thursday with a qualifying tournament from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Then on Friday, the main draw opening rounds take place from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Elimination rounds for the main draw are on the schedule for Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the semifinals and finals taking place Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

So how do you pull of beach volleyball in the Big Apple?

Event organizers are bringing in tons of sand and will construct the stadium just blocks away from Times Square. While the tour has made other stops in the metropolitan area, including in Belmar, New Jersey, and Coney Island, having an event in Manhattan is very important to the sport, especially in advance of the Olympics.

"It is such a showcase for our athletes to play in such a unique setting," said Sun. "There is nothing like New York, and doing this event on the West Side of Manhattan makes it even greater."

AVP was established in 1983. It produces, markets and distributes volleyball events all over the world, including the popular AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Based in Newport Beach, California, AVP is best known for its world-class athletes who have won numerous gold, silver and bronze medals at the Olympics. The organization promotes family-oriented events as well as supporting a healthy lifestyle.

Fans who attend this week's event will be treated to more than just watching world-class beach volleyball. It will be a spectacle that takes the hustle of Manhattan and transforms it into amazing lifestyle experience.

"Our game is all about the immersion in the beach volleyball lifestyle," said Sun. "The setting, the music, the sponsors and most importantly the athleticism of our great men and women who are on their way to Rio make it very special."

The sport of beach volleyball has experienced is ups and downs but is on the rise throughout the world.  Having an event with some of the sport's brightest stars in New York City can only help promote the game and whet the fans' appetite in advance of the Rio games.

General admission tickets for the event are free, but premium tickets are also available at https://avp.ticketspice.com/new-york-ticketing. For more information on the event, please visit http://avp.com/event/avp-new-york-city-open-2.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow the AVP @avpbeach.