There was a great article in the San Diego Union-Tribune about the Barefoot Wine AVPNext Series in San Diego.  Beach Volleyball San Diego is one of the 24 leagues participating in the 2010 Barefoot Wine AVPNext Series.  The San Diego league started weekly round-robin play in May and will conclude with a double-elimination tournament on July 18 at Mission Bay near the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa.  Jim Tuyay, promoter of Beach Volleyball San Diego, has been doing a great job organizing and running the league.  Tuyay said this would have all been canceled if Catamaran owner Bill Evans did not offer the beach area at his hotel for the courts. 

The San Diego league consists of 12 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams. These teams are competing for cash prizes and a trip to the Barefoot Wine AVPNext Championship Cup in Chicago.  At the Championship Cup, winning teams from each league will play against each other for more cash prizes as well as a chance to advance to the AVP’s main draw and play against the pros.

San Diego has a competitive league with several strong contenders.  Kelly Drobeck, 36, is one of the players in participating in the San Diego league.  She loves the sport and enjoys the competitive nature of a league.  Drobeck, mother of two, coached Cathedral Catholic to back-to-back girls state high school championships.  Her partner, Tina Kinkead, is the assistant coach at Point Loma Nazarene.  Drobeck believes she and Kinkead have a competitive edge with their knowledge and experience.    

Mike Maghy, an off-campus volleyball coach at Fountain Valley High School, is another player in the San Diego league who is hoping to win cash prizes and a chance to advance to the main draw in Chicago. After recently winning the AVP Young Guns event in New Orleans, he believes he and his partner have a good chance.

Finals for both men and women are less than a week away. Who will represent Beach Volleyball San Diego at the 2010 Barefoot Wine AVPNext Championship Cup in Chicago?

To see the Union-Tribune's full story, click here.