VB To Finish Spring Slate At Home With Inaugural Beach Tournament
Thursday, April 10, 2008 | Volleyball
The University of Florida volleyball team will wrap up its spring season on Saturday when it hosts the Southeastern Conference Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships, the first-ever beach volleyball tournament held by an NCAA Division I conference.
The action, which is free and open to the public, will kick off at 8:30 a.m. ET at the Southwest Recreation Center, located on Hull Road between SW 34th St. and Museum Rd.
“We see this as an opportunity to promote the SEC and women's volleyball in general,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “With the successes of American beach teams at the Olympics and the pro beach tour, many casual sports fans are familiar with the game.”
The festivities will begin on the afternoon of Friday, April 11, when the courts at the Southwest Recreation Center will be available for team practice sessions, which are also open to the public at no cost.
The itinerary will continue on Friday evening with the SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships banquet, set for 7 p.m. ET at the Best Western Gateway Grand. Beach volleyball legend and three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly will be the featured speaker for the event.
Kiraly retired from the AVP Tour in 2007 as the winningest player in beach volleyball history in terms of both tournaments and prize money, having won more than 150 events and claimed more than $3 million in earnings. A 2001 inductee into the Volleyball Hall of Fame, he is the only player to ever win Olympic gold medals both indoors and on the sand.
Competition will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning with pool play, during which each team will play a minimum of four matches in one of four different levels. Each pool-play match will consist of two 21-point sets, and teams must win each set by at least two points. Based on pool play results, all teams will advance to playoffs within their respective levels. Playoffs will be single elimination with a one-set format, played to 21 points.
Four doubles teams will represent Florida in the 40-team field: rising senior middle blocker Kelsey Bowers (Gainesville, Fla.) and rising senior defensive specialist Christina Diaz (Hollywood, Fla.), rising junior libero Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) and rising redshirt freshman outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.), rising junior setter Alli Cecchini (Brentwood, Calif.) and rising sophomore opposite hitter Lauren Bledsoe (Long Beach, Calif.) and rising sophomore outside hitter Callie Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.) and rising sophomore defensive specialist Erin Fleming (Orlando, Fla.).
In addition to free admission, the event will feature both festival-style and bleacher seating for fans. Spectators are invited to bring umbrellas, chairs, coolers, etc. to the tournament.
SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships schedule of events (all times Eastern)
Friday, April 11
Afternoon practices at Southwest Recreation Center
7 p.m. – SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships banquet (featured speaker: Karch Kiraly)
Saturday, April 12
8:30 a.m. – Pool play begins
4 p.m. – Bronze medal match
6 p.m. – Gold medal match
- UF -
