COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (February 13, 2023) – Collegiate men’s beach volleyball teams, take note! The 2023 USA Volleyball Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge will return to Owings Mills, Md., and the campus of Stevenson University on Sept. 15-17.
Now in its third year, the Men’s Beach Volleyball Collegiate Challenge will have a 32-team main draw, and every athlete will have the opportunity to be scouted through the Beach National Team Development Program (NTDP) Scouting Network.
“Fostering the growth of boys and men’s volleyball on the beach is a priority for USA Volleyball,” said USA Volleyball President and CEO Jamie Davis. “Events like the Beach Collegiate Challenge and the accompanying NTDP Accelerator brings attention to the sport and will inspire a new generation of young men to give it a try.”
“Stevenson University is proud to be hosting the USA Volleyball Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge to help support and develop men’s and boy’s beach volleyball,” Stevenson University Athletic Director Brett Adams said.
“In addition to the collegiate event, as part of this development we will be hosting an NTDP Accelerator for the top U15-U19 athletes from the Chesapeake and surrounding regions to showcase their skills. Beach Volleyball is one of the fastest growing NCAA sports on the women’s side, and we would like to provide similar opportunities for the men’s programs.”
Registration is now open at bracketpal.com. Pairs must register as a team but do not need to attend the same college or university.
All 32 pairs are guaranteed three matches in the four-team pool format.
The field will be selected as follows:
- 24 teams based on the following criteria:
- One team per school (only those registered before the August 1, 2023 deadline
- USA Volleyball and AVP Ranking Points as of August 1, 2023
- Time of registration
- Six wild card berths granted by USA Volleyball
- Two berths to host Stevenson University
Michael Valenzi/Ryan Merk of Penn State University won the 2022 USA Volleyball Men’s Beach Collegiate Challenge. Peyten Young/Wesley Blazek of Webber University finished second and Carlos Jimenez/Jackson Arnold of Webber took third.
The mission of the National Team Development Program (NTDP) is to identify, recruit and accelerate the development of high-potential junior volleyball players for the ultimate purpose of strengthening our national team programs to achieve sustained competitive excellence.
For more information on the NTDP, please visit the NTDP FAQ page.