International Volleyball

AVP League playoffs: Nitro, Smash, Dream, Mayhem fight for inaugural title

AVP League playoffs: Nitro, Smash, Dream, Mayhem fight for inaugural title

The brave new world of the AVP League will further break from beach volleyball tradition with the introduction of a novel “Golden Set” tiebreaker in the playoffs.

The Golden Set will kick in if any of the four games of the AVP League Championship this weekend wind up with the men’s and women’s pairs splitting their matches. The tantalizing new element to the 15-point (win by two with no cap) tiebreaker is that both genders will influence the outcome.

The higher seeded team, as determined by match records over eight games of the League regular season, will receive the choice of whether to start the Golden Set with the men or the women. After one pair reaches eight points, the other pairs will finish the set.

Such strategic variables figure to make for compelling TV and spark debate among fans, not to mention that the winners and losers will be decided by the efforts of all of the teams’ players on the sand. Isn’t that how it should be?

How likely is it that a Golden Set might occur during the two semifinals on Saturday night or the third-place game or finals on Sunday afternoon?

Consider that the four teams left standing in the single-elimination playoffs at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, saw 46.8% of their combined 32 AVP League games finish in splits, 17 going 2-for-2 and 15 1-and-1. Given those odds, fans might want to familiarize themselves with the new procedure.

During the regular season, the League used a system awarding tiebreaker points in each match on a scale of three for a two-set victory, two for winning in three sets and one for a loss in a deciding third set. After eight weekends of competition, the four playoff teams were decided by the first standard, winning percentage, and no subsequent tiebreakers were needed.

On Saturday night, the top-seeded New York Nitro (12-4) will face the surging San Diego Smash (8-8), who earned their spot as the No. 4 seed in the semifinals by going 6-2 over the League’s last two weeks.

Also, the second-seeded Dallas Dream (11-5) will square off against the Miami Mayhem (10-6), the No. 3 seed. The winners will battle for the AVP League title on Sunday afternoon (nationally televised on CBS Sports Network) after the losers play in the third-place game.

The Nitro seemingly sit in the catbird’s seat because of the balance they enjoy between their two pairs. AVP Huntington Beach Heritage Series champions Taylor Crabb and Taylor Sander on the men’s side and reigning…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Volleyballmag.com…