Future is bright for AVP

The Association of Volleyball Professionals made a successful, albeit quiet, return to the pro beach volleyball scene with two events in 2012.
Donald Sun, who bought the bankrupt AVP and organized events in Cincinnati and Santa Barbara, has some ambitious ideas for the future of the pro beach volleyball tour.
He wants to have as many as six events next year and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the AVP, which was formed in 1983.

“It was like the AVP never left,” said Sean Rosenthal, who with Jake Gibb won the AVP Championships in Santa Barbara on Sunday. “It was done really well with the stadium, with the fans, with the crowd, with the players and the management did a good job. We’re excited to have it back.”

Go to the Team USA website for more on the return of the AVP and the AVP Championships in Santa Barbara.

Photo: April Ross, left, and Jennifer Kessy, silver medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, won the women's title at the AVP Championships in Santa Barbara on Sunday. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

AVP returns to Santa Barbara

In a taste of things to come, the AVP beach volleyball tour made a stop in Santa Barbara, its last of two events for 2012.
Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb won the men's championship match sweeping the team of Brad Keenan and John Mayer in three sets, 21-16, 21-16, 21-18. Rosenthal and Gibb were the sixth seeded team in the AVP Championships at West Beach in Santa Barbara. Keenan and Mayer were seeded fourth.
Olympic silver medalists April Ross and Jennifer Kessy won the women's championship sweeping Kerri Walsh and Nicole Branagh.
Walsh won the gold medal with Misty May-Treanor at the Summer Olympics in London. May-Treanor retired from beach volleyball after the Olympics and Branagh joined Walsh as her new partner.
Donald Sun, the new owner of the AVP, said he wants to expand the pro beach volleyball tour schedule to at least four and possibly six events in 2013.

Photo: April Ross and Jennifer Kessy celebrate after winning the women's championship at the AVP Championships at West Beach in Santa Barbara. (Credit: Tim Haddock)