Adult, youth volleyball players look for gold in local beach tournaments this summer
USC-commit Kyla Doig passes to a teammate during the Queen of the Beach Invitational. The Hermosa Beach resident has her sights set on taking home more gold medals this summer after winning Girls 16U titles last year at the AAU Junior Olympics and BVCA National Championships. Photo
As summer temperatures rise, so does the level of competition on local sand courts. Numerous beach volleyball tournaments are scheduled throughout July.
Youth players from across the country will come to Hermosa Beach Monday through Thursday, July 10-13 when the Beach Volleyball Clubs of America (BVCA) National Championships take place north of the pier. Last year’s event featured 326 teams representing more than 50 clubs.
Elite Beach Volleyball members Kyla Doig (Hermosa Beach) and Lindsey Kelly (Manhattan Beach) won gold in the girls 16U division last year.
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) will be hosting four tournaments during the month beginning with the Isidore B. Dockweiler Open on Thursday, July 6 when girls in the 10/12/14/15/16/18 divisions compete at Dockweiler State Beach.
The Manhattan Beach duo of Ava Gallien and Leah Kelly won the 2016 Girls 14U title and Lindsey Kelly won gold in the Girls 15U division with partner Sarah Waters, of Chatsworth.
In conjunction with the World Series of Beach Volleyball (WSOBV) in Long Beach, the AAU Jr. National Championships will take place July 12-16. Action includes Boys 14/16/18, and Girls 10/12/14/15/16/18) divisions.
One of the most prestigious youth tournaments follows shortly thereafter when the AAU West Coast Jr. Olympic Games take place July 18-22 in Santa Monica. Players who have earned bids will compete in Boys 14 and Girls 12/14/15/16/18 age groups.
Capturing gold in last year’s tournament were the teams of Kyla Doig (Hermosa Beach)/Jaden Whitmarsh (Rancho Santa Fe) in the Girls 16U division, Olivia Bakos (Manhattan Beach)/Peri Brennan (Laguna Beach) in the Girls 14U divisions and Luke Turner (Hermosa Beach)/Miles Partain (Pacific Palisades) in the Boys 15U division.
The AAU Best of the Beach tournament featuring Girls 14 and 16 divisions will be held July 26-27 in Hermosa Beach. For information and schedule of AAU events, visit aaubeach.org.
Now in its fifth year, the World Series of Beach Volleyball attracts many players from the Beach Cities who compete in a variety of tournaments.
In addition to the AAU tournament, the WSOBV includes the FIVB Long Beach Grand Slam featuring many of the top players in the world. Past and future Olympians along with up-and-coming players will compete Thursday through Sunday, July 3-16.
In 2016, Americans Kerry Walsh Jennings (Manhattan Beach) and April Ross won the women’s gold medal while Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena won silver medals in the men’s competition.
Walsh Jennings has since ended her partnership with Ross and has teamed with Nicole Branagh (Hawthorne) for international competition this season.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerry Walsh Jennings will be a crowd favorite at the World Series of Beach Volleyball. The Manhattan Beach resident has partnered with Nicole Branagh for international competition this season. Photo
Other adult competition at the WSOBV includes the Spiked single-gender 6-man and costume-themed co-ed 4-man tournaments beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 15.
The WSOBV features a multi-day music festival and a celebrity volleyball match with stars from the worlds of film, television and sports. General admission is free. Visit Wsobv.com for more information.
The California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) will be holding two of its 12 stops of the Youth Premier Tour at Manhattan Beach (July 15-16) and Dockweiler State Beach (July 22-23).
For spectators waiting to watch professionals play, the AVP returns to Hermosa Beach July 20-23 after a six-year hiatus.
From 1984 through 2010, the AVP held a tournament in Hermosa Beach and in 1990, NBC telecast its first beach volleyball event.
The Hermosa Beach Open is the sixth of eight AVP tour stops and takes place on the south side of the pier. General admission is free.
On Saturday, July 29 a South Bay tradition continues when the 19th annual BarryBob 4-person tournament takes place at 9th Street and The Strand in Manhattan Beach. It’s hosted by former pro volleyball players Mike Walmer and Kevin Cleary in memory of their dads Barry and Bob, who were best friends for over three decades before passing away in the 1990s.
Winning the 2016 title was the team of Scotty Lane, Brett Coordt, Terry Holberton and Mike Osborn.