AVP beach volleyball is back Labor Day weekend
Professional beach volleyball under the lights returns to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason this Labor Day weekend.
Olympians Phil Dalhausser, Jake Gibb, Jennifer Kessy and Nicole Branagh headline the Association of Volleyball Professionals Cincinnati Open this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Sixteen men's teams and 16 women's teams will compete for AVP ranking points and a $150,000 purse in a tournament that culminates in Sunday's NBC Sports Network-televised finals. Four teams per gender gain entry to the main draw through a single-elimination qualifying tournament.
For Dalhausser, it's another chance to see how well he competes with old friend and AVP peer Nick Lucena. The players paired for four recent events.
"Nick and I actually came up on tour together. We kind of broke through as a team into the pro ranks and we won our first tournament together," Dalhausser said. "It's kind of like riding a bike a little but we've had pretty good success so far in the first four tournaments."
The allure of the event is the chance to see pros like Dalhausser and 2016 Olympic hopefuls, but there's even more to the festivities. General admission is free for the first time in event history. Factor in special exhibitions, music, food and 1,500 tons of sand on three courts, and there's something for everyone.
"The AVP's mission is to give back to the community and really promote family-friendly fun," said Janie Shaffer, Reach Event Marketing event director for the AVP Cincinnati Open. "We're all about having events in the city that are free and family friendly."
Saturday marks Club High School Youth Day, as well as a 4 p.m. sand soccer exhibition by the new FC Cincinnati professional soccer team.
There are two exhibition matches on Sunday's slate. Japanese beach volleyball start Koichi Nishimura, a goodwill ambassador for the sport on behalf of AVP partner Rakuten and Rakuten Card, will play in the Rakuten Card Cup match with AVP pros.
Sunday also features the first-ever Bigg Dig Classic between the Cincinnati and Miami women's indoor volleyball teams, plus pro players and local celebrities.
Shaffer said the Bearcats' celebrities include university president Santa Ono, athletic director Mike Bohn, former NBA player Corie Blount and track standout Mary Wineberg. Miami's side features hockey coach Enrico Blasi and FC Cincinnati president and general manager Jeff Berding, among others.
The Bigg Dig is a fundraiser that will be played between Sunday's semifinals and finals. The AVP has allocated 1,000 tickets per session in Grandstand Court's lower bowl for $10 each, and proceeds will go directly to the schools.
Club AVP tickets are also available for seats with shade, food and drinks. Grandstand Court seats 5,500 and is expected to be at capacity Saturday and Sunday.
"There are a lot of people who love beach volleyball and there are a lot of people who don't know much about beach volleyball," Shaffer said. "I think no matter who you are, if you show up and watch just one day, you're going to want to come back."
What's unusual about this stop is the facility's lights and athletes' ability to play until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Dalhausser said the lights create a unique environment because everyone is at the site specifically to see beach volleyball and that makes the matches feel electric.
Dalhausser has been to the AVP's first 15 trips to the Cincinnati area and is ready for to the 16th edition.
"The biggest thing is that the fans are great," Dalhausser said. "I've been going to the tournament since the first year and fans have always showed up and are super into it, which is great to play in front of."
AVP Cincinnati Open
Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason
Friday: 12 p.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: Free general admission. $10 for Bigg Dig tickets in the lower bowl (proceeds benefit UC and Miami volleyball programs). VIP tickets available at the gate and avp.com.