The best volleyball players in the world will descend on St. Petersburg the weekend of Sept. 13-15 for the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour events at Vinoy Park.
The AVP St. Pete Open is the fifth event in the 2013 AVP season. The seven-event season is the first full schedule since 2010.
Financial difficulties forced the cancellation of the tour in 2011 and limited last season’s tour to only two events.
Based in Costa Mesa, Calif., the AVP was founded in 1983 and has become one of volleyball’s most prominent organizations. The Pro Beach Volleyball tour is the most prominent volleyball tour in the United States.
Among expected players is Kerri Walsh, who partnered with former pro Misty May-Trainor to win three Olympic gold medals. The men’s tournament will feature former Olympic gold medalist and Florida native Phil Dalhausser with his partner Todd Rodgers.
Canterbury High School graduate Brooke Sweat will also be a part of the tournament. Originally from Fort Myers, Sweat (formerly Youngquist) was a member of the inaugural volleyball team at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Sweat was also the American Volleyball Coaches Association player of the year in the South region and was awarded second-team Atlantic Sun Conference honors in her junior year.
Preparations for the event began last week with a qualifying tournament in Gulfport for local players.
The games begins Friday at 10 a.m. and continue Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Fans can purchase a one-day general admission ticket for $15 or a three-day ticket for $30 at AVP.com or at the tournament site.
The tournament will feature men’s and women’s tournaments. Each will have 16 two-person teams. The preliminary matches of each tournament will be on Friday and Saturday. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will all be on Sunday.
Fans unable to attend the event can watch the tournament on AVP.com. The finals will be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network on Sunday afternoon.
