The AVP returns to Atlanta on Friday and already has made an impact on the sports scene.
Sarah Sponcil threw out the first pitch Wednesday night before the Braves lost to the Phillies.
It was nearly a strike for the athletic Sponcil, the Olympian teamed with Terese Cannon as the No. 1 seed for the AVP Gold Series Atlanta Open at Atlanta Station.
The top-seeded men’s pair are Theo Brunner and Chaim Schalk.
This will the 10th time the AVP is competed in Atlanta, seventh for the women.
After the limited 2020 pandemic season, the first 2021 AVP event was in Atlanta and Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss, just a few months removed from their LSU season, won the women’s title. The men’s crown went to Chase Budinger and Casey Patterson.
“We’re excited to be returning to Atlanta after such a thrilling experience last year,” AVP CEO Al Lau said. “Beach volleyball was first introduced to the Olympics during the 1996 Games in Atlanta, so there’s a wealth of history and excitement surrounding this sport in this city.”
As always as is the case on the AVP, partners vary. For example Andy Benesh has won twice this season, in Austin with Phil Dalhausser and in Denver with Miles Evans, but in Atlanta he is playing with Nick Lucena.
The men’s field includes last week’s winners in Fort Lauderdale, Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabb; the reuniting of the New Orleans winners, Phil Dalhausser and Casey Patterson; Hermosa Beach winners Theo Brunner and Chaim Schalk; and Atlantic City winners Cody Caldwell and David Lee. Dalhausser also won the season opener in Austin with Andy Benesh and Benesh won in Denver with Miles Evans.
The men’s lineup for Friday’s first round:
No. 1 Theo Brunner-Chaim Schalk vs. No. 16 Jacob Landell-Lev Priima
No. 2 Tri Bourne-Trevor Crabb vs. No. 15 Cody Caldwell-David Lee
No. 3 Phil Dalhausser-Casey Patterson vs. No. 14 Tim Bomgren-Piotr Marciniak
No. 4 Taylor Crabb-Taylor Sander vs. No. 13 Tim Brewster-Kyle Friend
No. 5 Chase Budinger-Troy Field vs. No. 12 Skylar del Sol-Andrew Dentler
No. 6 Paul Lotman-Miles Partain vs. No. 11 Avery Drost-Cory Evans
No. 7 Andy Benesh-Nick Lucena vs. No. 10 John Hyden-Logan Webber
No. 8 Billy Allen-Jeremy Casebeer vs. No. 9 Evan Cory-Bill Kolinske
Brewster-Friend, Bomgren-Marciniak, Caldwell-Lee, and Landel-Priima won their spots through success in Atlantic City July 23-24.
2022 women’s winners in…
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