By Jenna Birdwell, Staff Reporter
Some of the world’s best professional volleyball players kicked up sand at Dignity Health Sports Park this month as they competed for the inaugural AVP League Championship. The weekend doubles tournament featured both men’s and women’s matches.
The tournament opened on Nov. 9 with the Dallas Dream against the Miami Mayhem, followed by the New York Nitro battling the San Diego Smash. The Dream and the Smash walked away with victories, setting up their championship match on Nov. 10.
The Smash had a rocky start on the road to Carson, but a late-season surge helped them to walk away with the ultimate prize during their “Golden Set” against the Dream. The Mayhem bested the Nitro to claim third-place honors.
The tournament attracted enthusiastic fans from across the United States. Brandon Madura and his wife fell in love with volleyball during the 2024 Summer Olympics. The couple came to Dignity Health Sports Park from Utah, and had front-row seats to the action. Madura said he and his wife often traveled to Southern California to watch matches.
“The San Diego Smash with Gina Urango and Tony Rodriguez really piqued our interest after seeing them in Anaheim,” Madura said. “The points, the rallies, just watching them go back and forth, the blocks, everything about [volleyball] – it’s just really energetic.”
The tournament was not without a bittersweet moment for fans, however. Mayhem teammates Alix Klineman and April Ross told the crowd they would be retiring from competition. Klineman and Ross won Olympic gold medals together at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Ross, 42, had previously said this would be her final season. Likewise, Klineman, 34, announced her plan on Nov. 4 in a video posted to her Instagram.
“It still feels surreal,” Klineman said in the video, expressed as a “farewell” to the sport. “From my first awkward serve at the age of 6 to the thrill of competing on the world’s largest stage, we’ve been through it all.”
After 28 years, Klineman said she felt the sport is in good hands.“I think women’s sports is having a massive moment,” Klineman said, “I feel like beach volleyball is kind of waiting for their big push, but the state of the sport in terms of talent is doing amazing.”
Meanwhile, there was fun and excitement off the volleyball court. Throughout the weekend, fans practiced their spiking skills at the top of the stadium. Laura Christine, a lifelong lover of the sport, was thrilled to be in attendance for the tournament.
“It’s one of those sports, like tennis, that you can play all your whole life,” Christine said. “I’m 55 and I still play.”
