It is finally official: Newport Beach will host a Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Elite on October 7-11.
The event will mark the first time a major international beach volleyball tournament has been held in the United States since the Fort Lauderdale Major of 2018, when Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena swept the field, a rookie named George Wanderley was breaking through out of the qualifier for Brazil, Summer Ross was making the podium, Russians still populated the entry lists, Volleyball World hadn’t yet become a company, the FIVB operated under a star system, and $600,000 in prize money for a single tournament was divvied out.
Indeed, much has changed in the world of beach volleyball.
It’s a direly-needed event in the U.S.A., particularly with the Los Angeles Olympics coming in three years. It will be a massive help to young USA Volleyball teams attempting to break through at the Elite level, as USA Volleyball will be granted a wild card into the main draw, as well as a wild card into the qualifier, not to mention what will likely be a strong home court advantage. The event will not count towards the World Championships standings, which cut off after a Challenge in Mexico a week prior.
The tournament will, of course, be streamed on VBTV.
“Beach volleyball’s global homecoming,” USA Volleyball wrote on Instagram. “Expect Olympic legends, international showdowns, beach icons, and a prize purse of $550,000 on the line.”
And, yes, the dates are correct: It is a Tuesday through Saturday, as opposed to the traditional Wednesday through Sunday, as the event will be finished with Steve Obradovich’s annual fours tournament on Sunday, October 12. The picture of the fours tournament was even the one USA Volleyball used on Instagram.
Hard to imagine a more effective lead-in for that fours event than the first major international event in the U.S. in seven years.
“Hosting our first Elite Beach Pro Tour event on U.S. soil is a monumental milestone for American beach volleyball,” USA Volleyball CEO John Speraw told Volleyball World. “Newport Beach is an iconic venue with deep roots in the sport’s culture, and we’re thrilled to welcome the world’s best athletes to compete here. This event not only highlights the strength of our beach volleyball community and reflects the sport’s incredible momentum heading into a new era of growth and global connection, including the LA28 Summer Games.”
