The most prestigious domestic beach volleyball tournament the AVP Manhattan Beach Open presented by Acer – kicked off Thursday with qualifying rounds and ceremony where the 2014 male and female winners were presented bronze plaques that will be added to the Walk of Fame on the pier.
Honored were Manhattan Beach’s Kerri Walsh Jennings (the all-time record holder with seven Manhattan Beach Open titles) and April Ross (who won her first Manhattan Beach Open in 2014), along with defending men’s champions Phil Dalhausser (a four-time champion) and Redondo Beach native Sean Rosenthal (a two-time champion).
This year’s tournament features the most entrants since the Hermosa Beach Open in July 2010. Of the 156 men’s players competing this weekend, 106 currently live in California while 94 of 122 women reside in the state.
Players are competing for a purse of $200,000, the largest on the AVP tour this season.
Thursday’s qualifying tournament featured 54 men’s teams and 37 women’s teams vying for eight spots (per gender) into the Main Draw.
Many South Bay players earned a berth into the Main Draw. Local men advancing were Marty Lorenz (Redondo Beach)/Raffe Paulis (Redondo Beach), Mark Burik (Redondo Beach)/Curt Toppel (Manhattan Beach), Tim May (Hermosa Beach)/Landen Tusieseina (Redondo Beach) and Justin Phipps (Dunedin, Fla.)/Bill Strickland (Redondo Beach).
South Bay women advancing were Laura Ratto (San Diego)/Tanya White (Hawthorne), Janelle Allen (Post Falls, Idaho)/Rosalinda Masler (Redondo Beach), Corrine Quiggle (Manhattan Beach)/Elise Zappia (Huntington Beach), Jessica Mendoza (Alta Monte Springs, Fla.)/Jessica Sykora (El Segundo) and Karissa Cook (San Jose)/Michelle Iafigliola (Hermosa Beach).
Seven men’s and seven women’s teams also secured spots in the main draw by winning regional competitions through AVPNext, the AVP’s developmental tour including Mark Tkaczuk (Hermosa Beach) / Reuben Danley (Anaheim).
Main Draw action will be held Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. followed by semifinals and finals on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. The top seeded men’s team is Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson while Jennifer Fopma and April Ross will be the team to beat on the women’s side.
Brackets and results available at avp.com.
