Geena Urango at the 2018 AVP Austin Open - Photo credit: Ralph Arvesen
Top seeded teams feel the heat at day one in Austin, Texas. The first stop of the 2018 AVP Pro Tour kicked off with the Austin Open, drawing dedicated Friday crowds who gathered to cheer on the most accomplished athletes in beach volleyball in today’s Main Draw.
Top-ranked athletes including two-time Olympian and defending Austin Open champion April Ross, three-time Olympian, defending Austin Open team of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, and three-time Olympic Gold medalist Reid Priddy who battled through the heat and the competition to secure one of 10 spots per gender in the Elimination Rounds, which begin tomorrow, Saturday May 19 at 9:00am.
It has been a favored return back to Austin for the second year, with over 100 teams (60 men’s matches and 49 women’s matches) who competed until 10:00 pm at Thursday’s Qualification Rounds. On the women’s side, No. 1 ranked April Ross and Alix Klineman successfully advance to face off against No. 13 ranked Sarah Day and Nicolette Martin at 1:25 pm tomorrow.
“I had such a fun time here last year competing with one of my best friends (Whitney Pavlik). It was her last tournament so it was really special to win with her,” said Ross. “ This year is a new partnership with Alix and we’re trying to do something really special as well. It would be great to get another win.”No. 7 ranked Lauren Fendrick and Sarah Sponcil defeated No. 2 ranked team Caitlin Ledoux and partner Kendra Jackson VanZwieten. Fendrick and Sponcil will face off No. 14 ranked Janelle Ruen Allen and Kerri Schuh tomorrow at 11:15 am in the Elimination Rounds.
The standout men’s team of the day were new partners, No. 7 ranked Reid Priddy and Jeremy Casebeer, as Priddy battled through heat cramps and coming out with a win in three sets against No. 2 ranked Theo Brunner and John Hyden.
“For us, we've got the power and we've been trying to learn how to harness it and just work as a team,” said Priddy. “We’ve played probably like eight total hours together so we're working really hard to get on the same page. A lot of note taking, a lot of meetings. Today was fun - a big step in the right direction!”
"The energy around beach volleyball in Austin is magnetic, as evident by the dedicated fans who overflowed stands in this heat to cheer on their teams in today's Opening Rounds," said Donald Sun, managing partner of AVP. "We want to thank the city of Austin for helping us bring our event back to this amazing place for a second year and we’re excited to see the level of beach volleyball that is set to show up for tomorrow's Elimination Rounds."The AVP Austin Open Elimination Rounds will continue tomorrow, Saturday, May 19 beginning at 9:00 am. Amazon Prime Video will stream live AVP Main Draw Matches and one to-be-determined final live on Sunday, May 20. The other final will air nationally on NBCSN Monday, May 21 featuring veteran broadcaster and Olympic gold medalists Chris Marlowe, Kevin Wong (analyst) and Tanith White (reporter) calling the action.
Additionally, Prime Video will stream the men’s and women’s finals to viewers outside of the United States. In addition to live AVP coverage, Prime members will have on-demand access to completed matches, including all finals, highlights and additional content.
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. (Source: AVP)
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