U.S. Pairs Compete in Two Futures and the AVP League

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 11, 2024) – In this week’s beach update, the U.S. brings back a medal from the 2024 FISU World University Championship in Rio and Paris Olympians show out at the Hermosa Beach Open. Plus, we review BPT Futures Qidong ahead of two more Futures events set to take place this week as well as the first week of the AVP league.

Hermosa Open

The Hermosa Beach Open, presented by Wedbush and run independently by the City of Hermosa, made its return in 2024 and ran from Sept. 4-7. The event was won by two U.S. beach national team pairs and Paris 2024 Olympians.

As a standalone event not affiliated with the AVP or FIVB, the 2024 Hermosa Beach Open offered players the opportunity to pair with different partners and not be penalized in any standing or points race.

In the women’s bracket, Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes defeated Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft 2-1 in the final. Savvy Simo and Abby Van Winkle took third place after defeating April Ross and Lexy Denaburg. 

Full women’s results

In the men’s bracket, Miles Evans and Chase Budinger defeated Miles Partain and Alex Ranghieri 2-0 to win the event. Chaim Schalk and James Shaw placed third.

Full men’s results

WUCS recap

Xolani Hodel (Stanford) and Alexis Durish (Florida State) claimed the silver medal for the U.S. at the 2024 FISU Beach World University Championships on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Hodel/Durish made it to the final after sweeping pool play and earning 2-0 wins in the first two elimination rounds. Hodel/Durish defeated Austria’s Magdalena Rabitsch/Anja Trailovic 2-1 (16-21, 21-17, 15-5) in the quarterfinals and Paula Schurholz/Janne Uhl of Germany 2-0 (21-18, 21-16) in the semifinals. In the battle for gold, they fell to Anna-Lena Grune/Hanna-Marie Schieder of Germany 2-0 (21-14, 21-17).

Full WUCS recap

2024 Beach Collegiate Challenge 

The Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge returns to Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Md. Sept. 13-15. The main draw will run the first two days with the quarterfinal, semifinal, and medal matches taking place on the 15th.

This is the fourth year of the beach collegiate challenge. Thirty-two teams are set to compete with pairs representing various universities. Athletes must be between 18 and 25 years of age, currently registered members of USAV, and eligible to compete for the United States within USAV, IOC, FIVB, and NORCECA Regulations. They must also be either currently enrolled in a University progressing towards a degree or have graduated no earlier than December 13, 2023.

Full list of competing pairs and regulations

Futures China recap/preview

Jade Race and Molly Phillips ended their run at BPT Futures Qidong with a tie for fifth last week in China. Futures Qidong ran from Sept. 5-9.

Race/Phillips made it to the quarterfinal round where they were defeated 2-0 by Shiba/Maruyama of Japan.

The Pro Tour returns to China this week with BPT Futures Qingdao Sept. 12-15. Race and Phillips are expected to compete for the U.S. women alongside Melissa Powell and Madison Dennison. Leigh Sinoto and Cody Price are the lone pair set to represent the U.S. men.

Futures Bujumbura

Happening simultaneously to BPT Futures Quingdao is BPT Futures Bujumbura, Burundi. The event will run Sept. 11-14.  Kelly Kool and Tiffany Svenssohn are the lone U.S. pair set to compete.

AVP League

The first event of the inaugural AVP league takes place this weekend at UCLA’s Tennis Center on Sept. 14-15 in Los Angeles.

The new format of the AVP will be a nine-week series of competitions making stops at arenas and sporting venues across the country from September to November. Each event of the AVP League season will feature half four of the eight teams in action for that event.

The featured teams this weekend in Los Angeles are the L.A. Launch (Betsi Flint/Julia Scoles, Tim Bombren/Troy Field), San Diego Smash (Geena Urango/Toni Rodriguez, Chase Budinger/Miles Evans), New York Nitro (Kelly Cheng/Sara Hughes, Taylor Crabb/Taylor Sander) and Brooklyn Blaze (Terese Cannon/Megan Kraft, Seain Cook/Cody Caldwell).