You’ve heard the buzz. You’ve seen the clips. And now you’re wondering:
How does this new AVP League actually work?
Welcome to the next era of American beach volleyball, where city rivalries, fast matches, and championship stakes collide. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or new to the sand, here’s everything you need to know.
🏙️ EIGHT CITY-BASED TEAMS
The AVP League features eight franchises, each repping a major U.S. city:
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
- Austin
- Dallas
- Miami
- Palm Beach
- New York
- Brooklyn
Each team has:
- 1 men’s duo
- 1 women’s duo
Together, they compete for city pride, league points, and championship banners.
🗓️ SEASON STRUCTURE: THE LEAGUE CUP RACE
- Runs 8 weekends, Sept–Nov
- Each team plays 4 weekends (2 men’s & 2 women’s matches per weekend)
- Matches = best of 3 sets to 15, no cap, switch sides every 5 points
- Teams don’t relocate — they rep their city from wherever they train
- Win-loss record = everything in the regular season
🎯 Goal: Be the best combined city team by season’s end = AVP League Cup winner
🎯 MATCH FORMAT AT A GLANCE
- Sets to 15, win by 2
- Switch sides every 5
- One timeout per set, no tech timeouts
- USAV rules with AVP tweaks
- Fast. Clean. Cutthroat.
🏆 TWO PATHS TO GLORY
| CHAMPIONSHIP | WHAT IT MEANS | HOW IT’S WON |
|---|---|---|
| League Cup | Best city record (men’s + women’s combined) | No playoffs — most regular season wins |
| League Championships | Best individual teams | Top 6 duos (men’s + women’s) compete in single-elim playoff |
💥 The League Cup is city-based.
🔥 The League Championships crown the best pair in the game.
🏟️ Both titles matter — and both end in Chicago.
🧩 HOW DO TEAMS QUALIFY?
It all starts with the Heritage Series:
- Huntington Beach Open
- Manhattan Beach Open
- Chicago Open
Your two best finishes count toward qualifying for a city team.
Tiebreaker? The Chicago result.
Still tied? You go one set to 15 — winner takes the spot.
The AVP also reserves two Wild Cards per gender, just in case.
🔥 WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT?
- City vs. City rivalries
- Men’s and women’s equality in prize money + spotlight
- Draft system builds rosters with parity and strategy
- No relocation rules — rep your city, live where you want
- Fans can easily follow who’s winning, who’s climbing, and who’s flaming out
It’s volleyball, but with an edge — and a league-wide leaderboard.
📝 2025 Team Roster
Austin Aces
Women: Kristen Nuss & Taryn Kloth
Men: Wyatt Harrison & Avery Drost
Brooklyn Blaze
Women: Julia Donlin & Lexy Denaburg
Men: Seain Cook & Brian Miller
Dallas Dream
Women: Hailey Harward & Kylie DeBerg
Men: Andy Benesh & Miles Partain
LA Launch
Women: Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft
Men: Hagen Smith & Logan Webber
Miami Mayhem
Women: Molly Shaw & Kelly Cheng
Men: James Shaw & Chaim Schalk
New York Nitro
Women: Corinne Quiggle & Megan Rice
Men: Taylor Crabb & Taylor Sander
Palm Beach Passion
Women: Melissa Humana-Paredes & Brandie Wilkerson
Men: Trevor Crabb & Phil Dalhausser
San Diego Smash
Women: Toni Rodriguez & Geena Urango
Men: Chase Budinger & Miles Evans
👀 FAN EXPERIENCE
- Evening matches. Loud crowds. High drama.
- Matchups change weekly.
- Every game affects championship qualification.
- Meet-and-greets. Storylines. Trash talk. Upsets.
- You don’t just follow players — you follow teams.
The AVP isn’t just a tour anymore.
It’s a league.
🏁 FINAL SERVE
The AVP League is the future of American beach volleyball.
City-based franchises. Weekend wars. Two trophies up for grabs.
And new fans are jumping in every week.
If you’re new to the game, you picked the right time.
So pick a city. Lock in a duo.
And get ready to ride all the way to Championship Weekend in Chicago.
📲 Track standings, teams, and full AVP League coverage at UnitedVB.com
