The world’s best beach volleyball players, including Olympic stars Kerri Walsh Jennings
and Phil Dalhausser, local standouts Raquel Ferreira and Brooke (Younquist) Sweat
come to downtown St. Petersburg from May 30-June 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 16, 2014) – The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will return to St. Petersburg this summer for the second straight year, and tickets for the AVP St. Petersburg Open are now on sale exclusively at 104.236.90.106.
Olympic stars and local standouts will descend on Downtown St. Petersburg (Spa Beach Park, 615 2nd Ave. NE) from May 30-June 1 as more than 2,000 tons of sand are trucked in to build four beach courts and turn St. Pete into the capital of the beach volleyball world for four days. The action on stadium court will be surrounded by a beach party atmosphere that’s filled with great music, food and interactive activities.
The AVP St. Petersburg Open will feature an open qualifying tournament on Thursday, May 29 at Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach. The top four teams from each gender in the qualifying tournament will receive entry into the tournament’s 16-team double-elimination main draw.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and partner April Ross, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist, will headline a strong women’s bracket in the main draw that is also expected to include up-and-coming stars Summer Ross, Emily Day and Lane Carico as well as St. Petersburg resident Raquel Ferreira, native of the beach volleyball-rich nation of Brazil.
The men’s bracket features a pair of teams battling for the top spot as Olympic gold medalist Phil Dalhausser and two-time Olympian Sean Rosenthal go head-to-head with two-time Olympian Jake Gibb and rising star Casey Patterson. Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers and new partner Theo Brunner could make some noise, as will up-and-comer Tri Bourne.
Gibb and Patterson won the men’s title at last year’s inaugural St. Petersburg Open, while the women’s final was cancelled due to severe weather and the title was split between the teams of Summer Ross and Emily Day and April Ross and former partner Jen Kessy.
General admission tickets to the St. Petersburg Open allow fans access to first-come, first-served seating in the stadium court as well as lawn seating surrounding the three outer courts. VIP tickets for Club AVP offer access to a shaded hospitality skybox with food and beverage, a cash bar, access to player meet and greets and after parties, and a VIP gift bag.
Tickets for the AVP St. Petersburg Open are available at 104.236.90.106 and are priced as follows (advance price/gate price):
General Admission Club AVP
Thursday 5/29 (open qualifier at Pier 60) FREE N/A
Friday 5/30 $10/$15 $45/$55
Saturday 5/31 $15/$20 $55/$65
Sunday 6/1 $18/$23 $65/$75
Three-day pass $35/$40 N/A
Children 10 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult, and groups purchasing 10 or more tickets will receive a 25 percent discount.
The main draw of the St. Petersburg open will run Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday will feature the men’s and women’s semifinals and finals, with play beginning at 8:30 a.m., the women’s final at 1 p.m. and the men’s final at 2 p.m.
The men’s and women’s finals will be televised live on CBS Sports Network with additional coverage of the tournament being streamed live online at 104.236.90.106.
For sponsorship opportunities contact Peggy Ramsberger at PELICAN Sports & Entertainment, LLC, peggy@PELICANSAE.com.
For the sports enthusiasts and supporters that are interested in being a part of the AVP St. Petersburg Open, volunteer opportunities are available. For more information about volunteering contact volunteer@avp.com.
The AVP’s 2014 schedule includes seven tournaments in different regions of the U.S., from Florida to Southern California. In its third year under the guidance of AVP Managing Partner Donald Sun, who purchased the tour in 2012, the AVP has expanded its property to include tour stops this season in St. Petersburg, Fla. (May 29-June 1); Milwaukee (July 3-6); Salt Lake City (Aug. 7-10); Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Aug. 14-17); Cincinnati (Aug. 28-31); Atlantic City, N.J. (Sept. 5-7); and Huntington Beach, Calif.
ABOUT THE AVP
Established in 1983, the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) produces, markets and distributes volleyball events worldwide, including the popular AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. While promoting family-oriented events and supporting a healthy lifestyle, the AVP is best known for its world-class athletes, who have won numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the Olympic games. The AVP headquarters are in Costa Mesa, California, USA.
Media contact: Sponsorship contact:
Greg Ball Peggy Ramsberger
AVP / BZA Public Relations PELICAN Sports & Entertainment
gregb@bzapr.com peggy@pelicansae.com
(760) 271-9183 (727) 424-1229