Association of Volleyball Professionals
The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is the biggest and longest-running professional beach volleyball tour in the United States. Founded in 1983, the AVP is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The AVP operates as a 3-tiered development system with AVPFirst, a youth program; AVPNext, a developmental circuit; and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour itself.
A men's match at the 2017 Austin Open
A women's match at the 2017 Hermosa Beach Open
Beach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams of two players each on a sand court divided by a net. Similar to indoor volleyball, the objective of the game is to send the ball over the net and to ground it on the opponent's side of the court. Each team also works in unison to prevent the opposing team from grounding the ball on their side of the court.
The blocker (left) attempts to stop the opposing team's attack over the net.
Beach volleyball players at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Hawaii, ca. 1915
Public beach volleyball courts in Santa Monica, where the modern two-man version originated.
A beach volleyball game between members of President Harry S. Truman's vacation party at Key West, Florida in 1950