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May 3, 2024 | Issue 11
NC Beach Volleyball Championship Kickoff: Today’s the Day! Plus, Exciting Award Announcements
The 2024 NC beach volleyball championship bracket was revealed on April 28 in a selection show on NCAA.com. The championship gets underway May 3-5 in Gulf Shores, Alabama at Gulf Shores Public Beach.
Seventeen teams were selected, including a 16-seed vs. 17-seed opening round play-in game to determine the final seed in the first-round matchups.
The AVCA is pleased to name announce Dain Blanton of USC as the 2024 National Collegiate Beach Coach of the Year and Angela Rock of Cal Poly as its Assistant Coach of the Year. Blanton’s squad has enjoyed another highly successful season, as USC enters the NCAA Championship 33-4, a mark that was highlighted by a 16-match win streak from March 1 to 29. Rock has been part of an amazing turnaround at Cal Poly, as the Mustangs have won 14 more matches than last season and set a program record for victories. Read more
2024 AVCA Collegiate Beach Player of the Year
The AVCA is proud to announce Megan Kraft of USC as its 2024 National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Player of the Year. She and Delaynie Maple are 33-4 at No. 1 for top-ranked USC, and they were named Pac-12 Pair of the Year. Kraft also became a four-time All-American, making the AVCA first-team this season. Read more
2024 AVCA Collegiate Beach All-America Teams
The AVCA is pleased to announce its 12th annual Collegiate Beach All-America Teams. This year, the first and second teams include 16 members each, and the 32 players honored represent 13 schools. Read more
2024 AVCA Top Flight
The AVCA is pleased to announce its 2024 Top Flight award winners.
The Top Flight program, now in its sixth year, recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75% of their matches. This year, 58 pairs representing 32 schools—from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA and Two-Year Colleges—have earned Top Flight status. Read more
Small College Beach Recap
NCAA DII: In the final matches of the AVCA Small College Beach Championship, Tampa defeated CUI, 3-2, to win the NCAA Division II title. Payton Brunick & Olivia Margolies of Tampa, Kelissa Lemoine & Kali Uhl of CUI, and Amanda Ollinger & Hahni Johnson of Colorado Mesa were name All-Americans.
NCAA DIII: We have a Division III team champ: University of Mary Hardin-Baylor!
The Crusaders defeated Berry College, 3-1 to win the NCAA Div. III division at the AVCA Small College Beach Championships. Ali Rojas and Gracie Nichols of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Becky Blaydes and Kaylee Howell of Berry were named All-Americans.
NAIA: Webber International University beat University of Mobile, 3-1, to take home the title in the NAIA division. Lily Arnold and Janna Morrissey of Webber and Aspen Adams and Jordan Wood of Mobile were named to the All-Tournament team.
Vanguard wins the NAIA Women’s Beach Volleyball Invitational
Saturday concluded the 2024 NAIA Women’s Beach Volleyball Invitational with Vanguard (Calif.) defending its invitational title at the Greeneville Beach Volleyball Courts in Greeneville, Tenn. This is the second consecutive title for Vanguard. Read more
2024 AVCA NAIA Beach All-Americans
The AVCA is pleased to announce its All-Americans for NAIA Beach Volleyball. This year the number of honorees has doubled from four to eight. The recipients represent the four teams that advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 NAIA Beach Invitational. Read more
NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship
The 2024 NJCAA Beach Championship began on Thursday in Huntsville, AL. Keep up with the action
2024 AVCA Team Academic Award
Save the date: Nominations for 2024 AVCA Team Academic Award will open May 30 and close July 2. Guidelines and FAQ’s here.
The AVCA is inviting members and industry professionals to submit a proposal to be considered as a speaker for on-court, beach or classroom presentations at the 2024 AVCA Convention.
The convention will be held December 18-21 in Louisville, KY. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your expertise with volleyball coaches from across the country!
The AVCA Match Point Mentoring Program is designed exclusively for volleyball coaches at all levels of expertise. Our program centers on creating mentoring trios where these coaches serve as both mentors and mentees to create a collaborative learning experience. Applications for the 2024-2025 program will close April 30, and Trios will be announced in Mid-June. Apply
Join the monthly call for JVA Beach Club Directors and Coaches to share ideas and discuss key topics that are relevant right now. Beach Club Direction LIVE is led by JVA Club Directors to foster guidance, mentorship, and connection among our members. Network with Directors and Coaches across the country, listen, connect, and learn from one another. Free for all JVA member clubs.
To join the Men’s Collegiate Beach Volleyball Alliance an active member coach of the AVCA must complete the registration information. The nominating coach serves as the official representative for all men’s collegiate beach activities at the college.
The 2024 AVP Huntington Beach Open returns to the main stage as the first Heritage Event of 2024 in the Path to the League. Since 2000, Huntington Beach has been a mainstay on the AVP schedule and a hotbed for beach volleyball talent. Who will take home the hardware this year down in OC?
As we enter May, each tournament is critical for pairs in the race to earn more Olympic points. With the top two spots nearly locked in for the U.S. women, the U.S. men’s rankings will likely get extra attention this week at BPT Elite 16 Brasilia. Read more
