Fox Sports Net
AVP 2006
Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA
14-17 September 2006
AVP
Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach
Lake Tahoe, NV,
September 14 - 17, 2006
FORMAT
The double-elimination invitational is an opportunity for eight of the top men's and women's teams to compete.
TICKETS
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/229405 ($20-35 Bleacher Seats, $75 Box Seats)
WEEKEND PACKAGE
http://www.caesars.com/Reservations/main.aspx?HotelId=14&StepId=1pkg
Montbleu Resort Spa & Casino, formally known as Caesar Tahoe
TELEVISION COVERAGE:
Fox Sports Net
SCHEDULE
2006 AVP CROCS Tour
$200,000 AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach
Lake Tahoe, Nev. • September 14 - 17, 2006
THURSDAY, Sept. 14
Men's and Women's Winner's Bracket - Round 1
9:30 a.m. – Men’s Match 1: Mike Lambert / Stein Metzger (1) def. Aaron Wachtfogel / Hans Stolfus (8) 17-21, 21-14, 15-11 (0:59)
10:40 a.m. – Women’s Match 1: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (8) 21-17, 21-17 (0:36)
11:50 a.m. – Men’s Match 2: Dax Holdren / Sean Scott (4) def. Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (5) 14-21, 21-19, 15-13 (1:00)
1:00 p.m. – Women’s Match 2: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) def. Holly McPeak / Nicole Branagh (4) 21-18, 21-14 (0:37)
2:10 p.m. – Men’s Match 3: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (3) def. Jeff Nygaard / John Hyden (6) 21-17, 16-21, 15-12 (0:52)
3:20 p.m. – Women’s Match 3: Tatiana Minello / Mimi Amaral (6) def. Dianne DeNecochea / Tammy Leibl (3) 21-16, 10-21, 19-17 (0:49)
4:30 p.m. – Men’s Match 4: Todd Rogers / Phil Dalhausser (2) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Rooney (7) 21-18, 21-16 (0:39)
5:40 p.m. – Women’s Match 4: Rachel Wacholder / Jennifer Boss (2) def. Carrie Dodd / Barbra Fontana (7) 16-21, 21-15, 15-13 (0:53)
FRIDAY, Sept. 15
9:30am - 2pm: Men's and Women's 7th place matches
Contender's Bracket - Round 1
9:30 a.m. – Men’s Match 7: Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (5) def. Aaron Wachtfogel / Hans Stolfus (8) 21-14, 21-10 (0:40)
10:40 a.m. – Women’s Match 7: Holly McPeak / Nicole Branagh (4) def. Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger (8) 21-13, 21-19 (0:43)
11:50 a.m. – Men’s Match 8: Jeff Nygaard / John Hyden (6) def. Nick Lucena / Sean Rooney (7) 21-17, 21-18 (0:32)
1:00 p.m. – Women’s Match 8: Dianne DeNecochea / Tammy Leibl (3) def. Carrie Dodd / Barbra Fontana (7) 21-15, 21-17 (0:41)2:10pm - 6:30pm: Men's and Women's Winner's Bracket - Round 2
2:10 p.m. – Men’s Match 5: Dax Holdren / Sean Scott (4) def. Mike Lambert / Stein Metzger (1) 19-21, 21-19, 15-10 (1:02)
3:20 p.m. – Women’s Match 5: Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) 21-18, 21-17 (0:34)
4:30 p.m. – Men’s Match 6: Todd Rogers / Phil Dalhausser (2) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (3) 29-27, 21-19 (0:47)
5:40 p.m. – Women’s Match 6: Rachel Wacholder / Jennifer Boss (2) def. Tatiana Minello / Mimi Amaral (6) 21-17, 21-17 (0:39)SATURDAY, Sept. 16
9:30am - 2pm: Men's and Women's 5th place matches
Contender's Bracket - Round 2
9:30 a.m. – Men’s Match 9: Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (3) def. Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings (5) 21-15, 21-16 (0:43)
10:40 a.m. – Women’s Match 9: Holly McPeak / Nicole Branagh (4) def. Tatiana Minello / Mimi Amaral (6) 16-21, 21-15, 20-18 (1:01)
11:50 a.m. – Men’s Match 10: Jeff Nygaard / John Hyden (6) def. Mike Lambert / Stein Metzger (1) 21-16, 19-21, 15-8 (0:55)
1:00 p.m. – Women’s Match 10: Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) def. Dianne DeNecochea / Tammy Leibl (3) 21-18, 16-21, 15-11 (0:55)
2:10pm - 6:30pm: Men's and Women's Semifinals
2:10 p.m. – Men’s Match 11 (semifinal): Dax Holdren / Sean Scott (4) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (3) 21-15, 21-14 (0:42)
3:20 p.m. – Women’s Match 11 (semifinal): Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Holly McPeak / Nicole Branagh (4) 21-15, 21-9 (0:34)
4:30 p.m. – Men’s Match 12 (semifinal): Todd Rogers / Phil Dalhausser (2) def. Jeff Nygaard / John Hyden (6) 23-21, 21-12 (0:34)
5:40 p.m. – Women’s Match 12 (semifinal): Rachel Wacholder / Jennifer Boss (2) def. Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) 21-19, 21-19 (0:44)SUNDAY, Sept. 17
11:30am: Men's & Women's 3rd place matchesContender's Bracket - Round 2
11:30 a.m. – Men’s Match 13 (3rd place): Jeff Nygaard / John Hyden (6) def. Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal (3) 21-18, 21-17 (0:42)
12:40 p.m. – Women’s Match 13 (3rd place): Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan (5) def. Holly McPeak / Nicole Branagh (4) 21-17, 21-19 (0:41)
2:00pm: Men's Final2:00 p.m. – Men’s Match 14 (championship): Todd Rogers / Phil Dalhausser (2) def. Dax Holdren / Sean Scott (4) 20-22, 21-19, 15-9 (1:26)
3:30pm: Women's Final
3:30 p.m. – Women’s Match 14 (championship): Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh (1) def. Rachel Wacholder / Jennifer Boss (2) 21-14, 21-15 (0:42)
PRIZE MONEY
Place Money
1 $30,000
2 $20,000
3 $12,000
4 $10,000
5 $8,000
7 $6,000
Men's AVP $200,000 Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach
September 14-17, 2006Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings 1 Phil Dalhausser Todd Rogers 2 $30,000.00 2 Dax Holdren Sean Scott 4 $20,000.00 3 John Hyden Jeff Nygaard 6 $12,000.00 4 Jake Gibb Sean Rosenthal 3 $10,000.00 5 Mike Lambert Stein Metzger 1 $8,000.00 5 Matt Fuerbringer Casey Jennings 5 $8,000.00 7 Nick Lucena Sean Rooney 7 $6,000.00 7 Hans Stolfus Aaron Wachtfogel 8 $6,000.00
Women's AVP $200,000 Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach
September 14-17, 2006Finish Player Partner Seed Winnings 1 Misty May-Treanor Kerri Walsh 1 $30,000.00 2 Jennifer Boss Rachel Wacholder 2 $20,000.00 3 Annett Davis Jenny Johnson Jordan 5 $12,000.00 4 Nicole Branagh Holly McPeak 4 $10,000.00 5 Dianne DeNecochea Tammy Leibl 3 $8,000.00 5 Mimi Amaral Tatiana Minello 6 $8,000.00 7 Carrie Dodd Barbra Fontana 7 $6,000.00 7 Michelle More Suzanne Stonebarger 8 $6,000.00
TEAMS
Men's Preview: AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach
By Doug Strauss
September 13, 2006
The AVP CROCS Tour is coming to a close with the 16th tournament of the season, the AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach. The criteria to get into this tournament was taking a team's best six finishes from the year in terms of points. The format, like last year, will be a double-elimination tournament for eight teams. This marks the first time since 1997 that the AVP men have played in Lake Tahoe, and just four of the players have returned; Dax Holdren, Stein Metzger, Todd Rogers and Sean Scott. In the last four years that the AVP has had this event, which has been held in Las Vegas and Honolulu prior to moving to its new home in Lake Tahoe, eight different teams have competed in the finals. Here's a quick look at each of the eight teams competing in Lake Tahoe:
Mike Lambert / Stein Metzger
The winners of the inaugural CROCS Cup for being the top team of 2006, Lambert and Metzger have been seeded first in every tournament except for a stretch of four events. They were the only team to play in every Final Four, and played in a season-most nine finals. The first-year duo won five times this season, and has played in the last five championships. They lead the series against six other teams playing here, while only narrowly trailing against Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, 5-4.
Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers
While "The Professor," Todd Rogers, may not be happy with a 50% mark in certain areas, he is surely more satisfied by the fact that this team has won half of the AVP tournaments this year. Winning the most tournaments by any team since 1997, Dalhausser and Rogers are seeking a second consecutive victory for the first time on the AVP CROCS Tour since reeling off four in a row early in the year. Appearing in 12 semifinals, they are the only other team besides Lambert and Metzger to advance to more than half of the Final Fours so far. They lead the series against all other teams here by a combined 36-11 record.
Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal
This team would like to finish the season in the same manner they began, by sweeping through the competition en route to a title. Since Ft. Lauderdale, they have been to six semifinals and five championship matches. Gibb completed his third straight year ranked in the top five individually in terms of points while Rosenthal's six finals surpassed the five total he had coming into the year. Together they trail against the competition 22-15. They lead in the series against three teams and tied in head to head matches with Nick Lucena and Sean Rooney. They trail slightly against Lambert and Metzger as well as Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings, and by an 8-1 margin against Dalhausser and Rogers.
Dax Holdren / Sean Scott
These two players both competed in the championship last year in this event in Honolulu, but on opposite sides of the net. Scott, along with Rogers, defeated Holdren and Jeff Nygaard, the same result as what happened last week in Las Vegas. Scott will hope that his tendency to finish the season strong continues this weekend, as last year he won the final three team events. This season Holdren and Scott have played in the semifinals in six of the last seven events, including two finals. As a team they trail the series against the field 17-15, with losing records against four teams and winning records against the teams seeded six, seven and eight in Lake Tahoe.
Matt Fuerbringer / Casey Jennings
Only 11 teams in history have played more domestic events as partners than Fuerbringer and Jennings, who will be competing in their 53rd tournament in the U.S. This marked their fourth straight year this team has finished ranked fourth or higher. Making the Final Four in half the events this season, they won their only title match, extending their string to three consecutive years with at least one tournament victory. Against the field in Lake Tahoe, they are an even 19-19, trailing the series against Lambert / Metzger, Dalhausser / Rogers and Hyden / Nygaard while holding the edge against the other four teams.
John Hyden / Jeff Nygaard
With five semifinals and one title match appearance already, a win in Lake Tahoe would cap off Hyden's best season on the beach. A victory would also extend Nygaard's run of four straight years with a title, and this event is coming on the heels of his biggest payday ever as a pro beach volleyball player, as he took home nearly $22,000 last weekend. Nygaard has fared well in this format, with a win in 2003 and a second-place finish last year after knocking off two of the top three seeds. Against the field Hyden and Nygaard trail 22-11, with winning records in the series against Fuerbringer / Jennings, Lucena / Rooney, and Hans Stolfus / Aaron Wachtfogel.
Nick Lucena / Sean Rooney
Coming into the event in Cincinnati, they were sitting in ninth place in the race to be in the top eight teams in order to get invited to Lake Tahoe. They helped secure a spot by winning a key match against the team who was right ahead of them, Brent Doble and Ryan Mariano. Lucena and Rooney are the only team here that did not play together in at least 13 of the 14 open events. After competing together in Tempe, these two did not pair up again until Seaside Heights at the end of June, and finished three times in fifth place. They have won three matches against teams in the field, winning the only match-up against Hyden and Nygaard, splitting the two matches against versus Gibb and Rosenthal, and taking one match off Fuerbringer and Jennings. The other four teams have never lost against Lucena and Rooney.
Hans Stolfus / Aaron Wachtfogel
This team was the other tandem which had to wait until the final open event in Cincinnati before it was guaranteed its invitation. Both of these young players enjoyed their best seasons on the sand. Their career bests came in Santa Barbara, when they stormed undefeated into the semifinals. One of their wins there came against Hyden and Nygaard, which was one of two wins they have against the field here. The other was against Dalhausser and Rogers, and Stolfus and Wachtfogel have a combined 2-13 mark against the seven other teams competing here.
Women's Preview: AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach
By Doug Strauss
September 12, 2006
The AVP CROCS Tour is coming to a close with the 16th tournament of the season, the AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach. The criteria to get into this tournament was taking a team's best six finishes from the year in terms of points. The format, like last year, will be a double-elimination tournament for eight teams. The last three years, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won this event, which has been held in Las Vegas and Honolulu prior to moving to its new home in Lake Tahoe, a first-time location for the women on the AVP. In a year of partner changes, seven of these teams were playing together in the first event of the year. Here's a quick look at each of the eight teams competing in Lake Tahoe:
Misty May-Treanor / Kerri Walsh
The most dominant team on the AVP Tour since they joined the tour in 2003, they will be looking to extend their record setting year to include a 13th team title domestically, a feat which no other women's team in history has been able to accomplish. In 2003 they won all eight of the team events they played on the AVP Tour, in 2004 they won seven of nine, last year 10 of 13 and this season 12 of 14. May-Treanor and Walsh enter riding a 32-match winning streak that has seen them claim the last six team titles. They have lost just three matches on the year, two to the now-defunct team of Rachel Wacholder and Elaine Youngs, and one to Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan. In their careers together, they lead the series against the field by a whopping 52-3, with all three losses coming to Davis and Johnson Jordan.
Jennifer Boss / Rachel Wacholder
This tandem was able to qualify for this event after playing together just four times on the AVP CROCS Tour, with finishes of fifth place, second place and a pair of third places, helped by the fact three of the four tournaments offered higher point totals because they were network events. Surprisingly, Boss and Wacholder have yet to defeat any of the other seven teams in the field, having lost once to both May-Treanor and Walsh as well as Nicole Branagh and Holly McPeak, and three times to Davis / Johnson Jordan. They are 16-0 against all other teams not in this competition though, including three straight upsets of the tournament's number two seeds in the previous three events.
Dianne DeNecochea / Tammy Leibl
Three of the last four events this team played in saw them compete in the Final Four. In that span, they defeated four teams seeded above them while losing just once to a lower-seeded team. Last year in this tournament DeNecochea and Leibl knocked both the third and second seeds into the contender's bracket en route to finishing third. Their number three seeding for this event not only marks the highest ever for them as a tandem, but also the highest that Leibl has ever been seeded in a tournament. DeNecochea and Leibl have won in the only meetings with Carrie Dodd / Barbra Fontana and Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger, while splitting the series with Branagh / McPeak. They trail the all-time series against the teams of Mimi Amaral / Tatiana Minello, Davis / Johnson Jordan and May-Treanor / Walsh and have not played Boss / Wacholder.
Nicole Branagh / Holly McPeak
This team reunited for this event after splitting up after the Manhattan Beach Open in mid-August. They played 11 AVP tournaments together, and after a start which saw them have a pair of sevenths and a pair of ninths in their first five outings, they rebounded to post six straight semifinal appearances. In that span they advanced to two championships. In the past four years that the AVP has held this eight-team tournament, McPeak has played in the championship each time. Against teams in the field, Branagh and McPeak lead the series against four teams, are tied with DeNecochea and Leibl, and trail against May-Treanor and Walsh. They have yet to face off against More and Stonebarger.
Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan
Only one team in women's history has played together in more tournaments than Davis and Johnson Jordan, and their commitment has paid off. They accumulated the second-most points on the AVP Tour as a team, one year after both players took a year off as both gave birth for the second time. The duo also accomplished this in 2002 after they missed the prior season with their first childbirths. Their eight semifinal appearances tied for the second most on the tour, and Davis and Johnson Jordan enter the Lake Tahoe event having played in the last two championships. The only partnership which has played every other team in the field, they lead the series against five of the teams, but trail against Branagh / McPeak and May-Treanor / Walsh.
Mimi Amaral / Tatiana Minello
Played in one Final Four this season and are invited to the eight-team season finale for the second straight year. In their last six tournaments, they had just one upset and were upset just once, beating the teams they should have according to the seeds. While they have never played against Boss and Wacholder, they lead the series against two teams, DeNecochea / Leibl and More / Stonebarger while trailing against the other four teams.
Carrie Dodd / Barbra Fontana
Dodd and Fontana had consistent finishes throughout the year, with a best of fifth place twice, in Seaside Heights and Boulder. Fontana, playing in her 241st tournament, is second on the all-time list behind McPeak. Dodd is competing in the eight-team invitational for the fourth straight season with a third different partner. Against the other teams in Lake Tahoe, Dodd and Fontana lead the series against Mimi / Tati and are tied with More / Stonebarger. They have never played against Boss and Wacholder, but they trail against the other four teams.
Michelle More / Suzanne Stonebarger
Despite being seeded eighth in Lake Tahoe, this team will likely be the crowd favorites as both played in college nearby at Nevada-Reno. Playing a year apart, both players were named to the conference all-Freshmen team and in addition were together on all-conference teams in 2000 and 2001. Roommates in college and now as professional beach volleyball players, this tandem is making their first "postseason" appearance. Playing in qualifiers their first two years, they had never been seeded above 20th, but this year started the season with a fifth-place finish and have been in the main draw ever since. Boosted by finishing fifth in Seaside Heights, the duo has seen its seeding climb during the year. Against the field, they trail versus four teams, and are tied with Dodd and Fontana. More and Stonebarger have yet to play against Boss / Wacholder and Branagh / McPeak.
PRESS RELEASE
AVP Beach Volleyball Tour will make its first stop ever in Lake Tahoe and will include a promoter partnership with MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa
LOS ANGELES - June 7, 2006 - AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of AVP, Inc. (OTC: AVPI.OB), a lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on professional beach volleyball, announced today they are joining forces with MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa to bring the fast-growing AVP Tour to Lake Tahoe this summer for the AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach, Sept. 14-17, 2006.
The top professional beach volleyball athletes will be competing for the title of AVP Best of the Beach in the final event of the 2006 AVP Crocs Tour. The double-elimination invitational is an opportunity for eight of the top men's and women's teams to compete. The tournament will be televised on FOX Sports Net. The AVP Lake Tahoe Best of the Beach will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 14 and continue through the weekend with the men's and women's finals on Sunday, Sept. 17.
It marks the first time the AVP will stop in Lake Tahoe. It also features a promoter partnership with MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in which MontBleu will be responsible for selling all local inventory for the tournament, including tickets, concessions and hospitality.
"We are excited to bring the AVP Tour to Northern Nevada, especially the beautiful city of Lake Tahoe," said Leonard Armato, CEO and Tour Commissioner. "We realize that the sport of volleyball is highly regarded in this area and we feel Lake Tahoe is the perfect setting to culminate a great season. We are thrilled to be partnering with the terrific MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa. It is through successful promoter partnerships like this that we are able to bring the sport and entertainment of beach volleyball to many cities; thus, reaching a larger audience."
The four-day event will take place at the new MontBleu Sports Pavilion, which will be configured to accommodate more than 4,000 people.
"We are honored that AVP has chosen MontBleu to host the Lake Tahoe debut of this incredibly successful tour," said Joe Yung, director of development for Columbia Sussex, MontBleu's parent company. "Having just recently celebrated our grand opening, we are already seeing MontBleu becoming one of the hottest and hippest destinations in the area, making the partnership with the AVP Tour a perfect fit not only for us but also for our guests."
About MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa
MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa brings a new level of style and sophistication to the picturesque surroundings of Lake Tahoe, creating a casino-resort experience that has not been previously available in the popular tourist destination. With its hip, "metro-cool" atmosphere, the 440-room MontBleu (formerly known as Caesars Tahoe) features seven distinct restaurants and four chic nightlife venues, in addition to a newly-remodeled, 40,000 square-foot casino and a brand new poker room. MontBleu is owned by Columbia Sussex Corp. For more information, please visit www.montbleuresort.com.
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