The AVP would like to congratulate Casey Patterson who fans chose as the 2013 FIVB Male Beach Volleyball Athlete of the Year.
In an online poll of Facebook fans, Patterson was honored along with Germany’s Laura Ludwig, who was chosen as the FIVB Female Beach Volleyball Athlete of the Year.
Patterson, along with partner Jake Gibb, enjoyed a breakout season, internationally and on the AVP tour. Together they amassed an impressive amount of medals on the 2013 FIVB tour, winning gold in Shanghai and finishing within the top five at six different tournaments. Domestically, the duo won four AVP titles in four consecutive events.
Congratulations are also due to Gibb, who was voted Most Inspirational Player of the year by his peers. Gibb is a cancer survivor and a veteran player on both the international and domestic circuits. He accomplished one of his best seasons to date and regularly outplayed and overcame opponents 10 or more years his junior.
The AVP would also like to congratulate Phil Dalhausser and Kerri Walsh-Jennings for being voted the Most Outstanding Player respectively by their fellow FIVB athletes.
Walsh-Jennings also had an impressive season, moving on from her legendary partnership with Misty May-Treanor to win two FIVB gold medals and two AVP titles. Playing with a two different partners during the AVP season, Walsh-Jennings finished in the top three at six of the seven 2013 AVP events.
Dalhausser as well, moved on from one of the most successful partnerships in beach volleyball history (with Todd Rogers) to begin 2013 with Sean Rosenthal. On the FIVB tour, Dalhausser and Rosenthal proved they were one of the best in the world as the pair won three gold medals and one silver medal. Beach volleyball’s new dream team had a great season domestically with one first place finish, two second place finishes, and two third place finishes.
These AVP athletes prove that U.S. beach volleyball remains a top force on the international scene. We look forward to seeing these and many more AVP athletes continue to succeed in 2014.