AVP Tour Returns! Huntington Beach 2024 Preview
The AVP Tour is back, and for the first time in history, the off-season has stretched to a full eight months. Eight months of training, strategizing, and preparing for a high-intensity, three-tournament sprint. This week, the action kicks off with the first Heritage Series event in Huntington Beach, California.
A New Era: The AVP League
This season, there’s more at stake than ever. With the introduction of the AVP League, the top 16 men’s and women’s players will have an extended season beyond the three Heritage events. Starting in the fall, the League will offer another competitive stage for those who perform well enough during this initial stretch.
At AVP Huntington Beach, every win matters. Along with prize money and ranking points, players are competing for a coveted spot in the AVP League. The winner of each Heritage event will automatically qualify, while additional slots will be filled based on accumulated points and wild card selections. This structure ensures that even lower bracket matches carry significant weight, making every rally and set count toward a potential second season.
Who Are the Contenders?
Women’s Division: A Star-Studded Field
For the women, the favorites are clear. The top-ranked teams include:
- Kristen Nuss & Taryn Kloth
- Kelly Cheng & Sara Hughes
- Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson
Each of these duos ranks within the top five in the world, making it highly likely that at least one will be in the finals.
Another powerhouse team to watch is the No. 2 seed: Olympic champions April Ross and Alix Klineman. Undefeated in their last five AVP events together, their last non-final finish dates back to AVP San Francisco in 2018. Now, both are returning to the court as mothers, adding a new chapter to their storied careers.
Betsi Flint, the No. 5 seed, has already demonstrated a successful return to AVP competition post-motherhood. Partnered with Julia Scoles, Flint is looking to replicate her 2023 Manhattan Beach Open victory. However, Scoles is returning from dual knee surgeries, making their performance in Huntington Beach an intriguing storyline.
Men’s Division: A Wide-Open Competition
The men’s side presents a stark contrast. Many of the top players—including Andy Benesh, Miles Partain, Trevor Crabb, Theo Brunner, Chase Budinger, and Miles Evans—are sitting out this event to prepare for the Espinho Elite16 in Portugal. Their absence creates an opportunity for new contenders to emerge.
Taylor Crabb & Taylor Sander and Tri Bourne & Chaim Schalk enter as the favorites, but the field remains unpredictable. One team to watch is Avery Drost & Phil Dalhausser. Drost is coming off a gold medal at the Varadero NORCECA stop, where he and Cody Caldwell upset the favored Cuban team in the finals.
Beyond the top contenders, the men’s field is stacked with new and reformed partnerships, making for an unpredictable and highly competitive tournament.
A Season of Possibilities
With so much on the line, AVP Huntington Beach promises to be an electrifying start to the season. Every point could determine a player’s future in the AVP League, and with high-caliber talent across the board, the road to victory is anything but guaranteed. Who will rise to the challenge and punch their ticket to the League? The battle begins now.
