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Best of Beach volleyball tourney returns to Glendale
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/09/24/20080924gl-avp0924.htmlAs the AVP Best of the Beach Tournament arrives in Glendale for the second time, here's a primer for new fans.Best of the Beach
AVP is the professional beach volleyball organization with a tour that features the top 12 men and top 12 women players.
The three-day Glendale tournament this week will close out the AVP tour. After the finals on Saturday night, one male and one female player will be crowned the Best of the Beach.
Scoring and other rules
Players will rotate partners throughout the tournament with a two-player team format. The length of each match is about 45 minutes. An electronic scoreboard should keep you straight.
Each match is a best of three rally-scoring sets. The first two sets are played to 21 points and the third is played to 15 points. Teams must have a two-point advantage to win a set.
Players get two 30-second timeouts per set and just one minute between each set.
Teams switch sides every 5-7 points.
When to cheer
There are no hard and fast rules, but typically the crowd gets quiet when a player serves, oohs and ahhs for dramatic plays that don't finalize a point and erupts in cheers at the end of a point.
Beach lingo
If you want to toss around terms like "spiker" or "attacker" - and actually know what you're talking about - visit avp.com/downloads/2008/Glossary.doc.
Non-volleyball activities
� Thirty women will compete in a bikini and evening wear competition from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday. One will be selected to represent Arizona as Ms. Planet Beach and to get the chance to become the international spokes model for Planet Beach.
� Cool off with players and fans at the 944 Pool Party next to the courts at the Glendale Renaissance Hotel & Spa from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Play water volleyball and relax with music, food and beverages at the hotel's outdoor pool. Tickets are $10 for tourney ticket holders with general-admission passes.
� Join the Valley's largest twister competition (with one gigantic twister board) on Friday and Saturday nights.
� Hunting for diamonds. Gold medalist Kerri Walsh's created a stir in Beijing when her engagement ring flew from her finger. More than 200 volunteers scoured the sand to find the ring. Playing off that, 30 to 40 fans will be selected to dig through one of the sand courts. Walsh will present a $2,000 prize from Hyde Park Jewelers to the person who comes up with a play ring will be presented by Walsh with a $2,000 prize to Hyde Park Jewelers.
� About two dozen sponsors such as Banana Boat and Cuervo have interactive booths.
Food and beverages
Westgate has more than 20 bars and restaurants, and vendors will sell food and drinks near the courts.
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If you go
� When: There are five ticketed sessions for the three-day event. They include six matches from 5-10:30 p.m. Thursday; six matches 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday; four matches 5-9:30 p.m. Friday; four matches 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday; and six matches 5 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
� Where: West parking lot of Westgate City Center, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue.
� Tickets: Available at www.avp.com/glendale, 800-919-6272, at Just Sports at Westgate, or at the gate.
� Cost: General admission is $20 with prices increasing for VIP and other packages. Family packs are available $45 for four tickets.
Viewing tips
Arrive early to grab the best seats.
The featured matches are played in the stadium court with bleachers around it. A secondary court also will have competitions going on, while fans can test their skills on the Crocs promotional court.
Dress
Players sport bikinis and board shorts, and fans can too. Think beach, light and comfortable.
Do's and don'ts
Do get there early and do bring the sunscreen.
Don't dress too warm.
Music
Deejays pump in high-energy tunes.
Autographs
Players tend to walk around after matches, which gives opportunities for autographs.
The three Olympians - Kerri Walsh, Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, who earned gold in Beijing, play Friday night and Saturday. A Gold Medal Family Day, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, will give fans a chance to get pictures and autographs with the medal-winning athletes.
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