Get ready, volleyball fans and beachgoers.
The Association of Volleyball Professionals league is making
its first-ever tournament stop in New York, coming to Coney Island
from Thursday, Aug. 17 through Sunday, Aug. 20.
"With Coney Island being the most popular beach on the eastern
seaboard, the AVP tournament coming here means volleyball has
really hit the big time," said Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz. "The sun and sand, the rides, the competition
– it’s a match made in Brooklyn!"
The Coney Island tourney, to be held alongside the Astroland
Amusement Park, will be the first time many of the professional
players will serve, set and spike in New York.
The number one duo in the world, Mike Lambert and Stein Metzger,
are going in with one goal in mind: to win and dominate.
"Yeah, we’re going in to win the thing," Lambert, the
AVP 2004 Offensive Player of the Year told GO Brooklyn. "Same
as with all the big tournaments. Just to be in a city like New
York, it’s such a cool, fun place, and Coney Island is like the
California lifestyle on the East Coast. I’ve never been there,
but I love music from Brooklyn, A Tribe Called Quest and De La
Soul, so it’ll be awesome to actually be there."
Casey Jennings, part of the third-ranked duo in the world, believes
the crowd will be friendly.
"I don’t really know what to expect," he said. "I
am really excited, though. The first time I ever came to New
York, I stayed in Brooklyn and the people were super friendly.
Living in L.A., you hear that New Yorkers are not friendly to
tourists, but I found that wasn’t the case at all."
Jennings, 31, and his partner Matt Fuerbringer, 32, who have
won AVP events in nearby Belmar, N.J., are the only teammates
ranked in the top five who have stuck together since they started
on the tour.
Over 150 of the top professional beach volleyball players will
be competing for the $25,000 prize. The event, which will be
televised live on NBC, will begin with a qualifier on Aug. 17
and will continue through the weekend with the men’s final at
4:30 pm on Aug. 19. The women’s final will follow at 4:30 pm
the following day.
For the AVP, which has annual tournament stops in cities like
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, having a tournament
in Brooklyn is a chance to show New York that volleyball is not
just a lifestyle recreation sport, but is in fact one that features
great athletic competition, said AVP Tour Commissioner Leonard
Armato.
Armato has been trying to bring an AVP event to New York for
years, and, with Bruce Ratner’s help, has now seen his dream
come true. Ratner’s Atlantic Yards project and Brooklyn Sports
and Entertainment will partner with the AVP to build a temporary
4,000-seat stadium on the beach, and will also construct 12 outer
courts with limited general admission seating.
"Coming to New York, this takes the sport to another level,"
Armato said. "We will be exposed to a much greater audience,
with many more people now that we are able to penetrate Brooklyn
and New York."
Volleyball is the fastest-growing sport in the country and is
the most popular summer Olympic sport, according to attendance
and television viewing, said Armato.
Any duo can try to qualify for the Brooklyn Open on Aug. 17,
between 8:30 am and 6 pm, for a chance to take their shot at
the pros.
The tournament starts with 32 teams and is double elimination.
The tournament becomes single elimination once there are only
four teams left.
"Coney Island is a perfect fit for a new tournament, because
volleyball is starting to represent the beach culture of the
21st century, and Coney Island beach is the beach with probably
the greatest tradition in the country," Armato added. "Put
the two together and you have a perfect partnership bridging
the past and the future. I see this open being a flagship event
every year and that’s exciting."
The Association of Volleyball Professionals
Brooklyn Open will be held at West 21st Street on the Boardwalk
in Coney Island, from Aug. 17-20. The action begins at 8:30 am
every morning and runs throughout the day. Tickets are $20 for
general admission and $40 for courtside. Tickets can be bought
at the door, or by visiting www.avp.com,
clicking on the "Schedule" link and scrolling down
to the "Brooklyn Open" link. For more information,
contact Ashwin Puri at (201) 635-3304.
