News 6.2.2010 : Beach Volleyball
Hi All:
You beachy types should mark your calendars. Collegiate beach volleyball is starting up in a semi-official way this spring and summer – both nationally, and in our Southern California region. The national championships will be held in Long Beach on July 24/25. The Southern California regional qualifier will be held June 20, at Ocean Park in Santa Monica. (If we can get other dates before the national tournament, we'll run additional local tournaments – but the official qualifier will be the June 20 event.)
So here's the deal: At the national tournament, it will be men's and women's doubles. There will also be a 4-person tournament. You are seeded into the national tournament based on how you do in our regional qualifier. (Various regional tournaments will be run locally around the country, seeding teams into the nationals.) Our qualifier will be for men's and women's doubles (not 4-man this year).
To be eligible, you have to have been in school (college) in the spring quarter/semester of 2010. Your partner must have been in the same school. (Of course.) You'll have to show evidence that you were in fact enrolled. (Student ID card, or whatever.) It's open to all students: varsity, club, unaffiliated, this region, another region, you name it. You just have to have been in school. (This means that you can play even if you just graduated.) The idea is that the beach season starts after the indoor club season ends, goes through spring, and finishes in early-mid summer. So, if you were in school in the spring, you can play.
The exact format of the tournament will depend on the number of teams we have signed up. The plan is to have pool play that seeds the top two finishers from each pool into a single-elimination bracket. You are awarded points based on your finish, and the size of the tournament. The points seed you into the nationals. I am double-checking but my understanding is that you play AVP rules. We'll be running the men's and women's tournaments side-by-side. Cost per team entry is $30, prepaid; $40 on the morning of.
Should be a blast!
Mike Maghy is supposed to be running this beach volleyball stuff, but he's off to an AVP tournament in Virginia that weekend, so I'm stepping in on a minimal basis for the qualifier, coordinating with Danny Rubio (who handles all the tournaments at Ocean Park). The nationals will be run by Singin Smith and his group. The NCVF may get involved down the line, but is not involved this year.
I'm planning on some of you guys (and women) winning this thing . . .
Pass this on to your players, if you would – and to any others that might be interested. You can have them call or write me, for now, if there are questions and I'll send along more info as it becomes available. To register for the regional on June 20, teams can call or email me – although eventually Mike (Maghy) will actually be in charge.
Get working on that cut shot!
Best,
Denny Cline, Commissioner SCCVL
News 4.5.2010 : Championship Results
Congratulations to our two winners, CS Long Beach and UCLA. Lots of good, competitive volleyball throughout the day. Two special nods are due to APU, on the men's side, and to Point Loma, on the women's. Both teams had, I believe, their highest finishes ever at an SCCVL Championship.
On the men's side, Long Beach was led by tournament MVP Matt Bailey's clever running of the 49ers' intricate, well-balanced offense and the often explosive all-round skills of Rory Jones -- but the 49'ers had all they could handle in the finals against a powerhouse San Diego State squad. Ryan Brekke was nearly unstoppable all day from the opposite spot, cratering line shot after line shot, going over the block when necessary, bombing jump serves, and generally playing big. The finals went three: 26-24, 31-33, 15-13.
UCSD finished third, losing twice to cross-town nemesis San Diego State, and wishing, for once, they could match up against somebody else . . .
On the women's side, UCLA played disciplined, steady, heady ball, and won the winners' bracket by defeating APU, USC #1, and Point Loma, then outlasted a similarly steady squad from UCI in the finals, 25-20, 19-25, 15-12. The Anteaters' tournament trek epitomized the parity of the women's teams. They dropped their first match to San Diego State, 23-25, 26-28. In the losers', they then went three with UCSD before advancing; squeaked past USC #1, 25-21, 25-23; revenged themselves over San Diego State; won in three over Point Loma (19-17 in the third); and met the Bruins in the finals, another three-game match.
Point Loma finished third, going three with both UCLA and UCI, the two tournament finalists.
Again, congratulations to all.
Men's All-Tournament: Matt Bailey (MVP), Long Beach; Rory Jones, Long Beach; Ryan Brekke, San Diego State; Pete Hastings, San Diego State; Austin Schumacher, UCSD; and Jimmy Lundgren, APU.
Women's All-Tournament: Sandy Chardon (MVP), UCLA; Katy Daley, UCLA; Christina Baghdikian, UCI; Colene Hasske, UCI; Julie Nakamoto, Point Loma; Allyse Kramer, Point Loma.
Good luck at nationals!
Denny Cline, Commissioner