After a thrilling Coney Island Open that saw first-time AVP winners on both the men’s and women’s sides, the 2009 AVP Crocs Tour heads west to its birthplace for the July 16-19 Crocs Slam Bud Light Manhattan Beach Open.

Calling it an Open might be an understatement, as the four-day event expands the field to 64-team main draws. Each main draw will consist of 48 automatic entries, leaving up for grabs a whopping 16 qualifying spots in the granddaddy of beach volleyball tournaments. No other AVP event fields a main draw bigger than 32 or allows more than eight qualifying berths. Men’s and women’s qualifying will take place Thursday, July 16 from 8 a.m. until approximately 6 p.m. to set the stage for main draw competition over the next three days. Aspiring AVP stars seeking one of the 16 available spots still have time to enter qualifying competition by clicking here. The registration deadline is Saturday, July 11 at 5 p.m. PST.

The men’s competition will receive a shot in the arm with four of its top teams set to return after passing on the Coney Island Open to compete at the FIVB World Championships in Norway. The AVP’s second-place men’s team, Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers, brings home a bronze medal from the World Championships. Also scheduled to return are fifth-place Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, ninth-place Brad Keenan and Nick Lucena, and 14th-place Matt Fuerbringer and Casey Jennings. Meanwhile, Ty Loomis and Casey Patterson will try to triumphantly defend their first-ever AVP title after upsetting top-seeded John Hyden and Sean Scott in the final to claim the Coney Island Open crown.

The women’s side will see a similar jolt when first-place duo Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs returns from the World Championships. Also anticipated back in the main draw are eighth-place Angie Akers and Tyra Turner and 10th-place Lauren Fendrick and Ashley Ivy. Dianne DeNecochea and Carrie Dodd look to build on their momentum after soaring to second in the rankings on the heels of their first win as a team.

The FIVB’s Moscow Grand Slam overlaps with Manhattan Beach, however, and will likely lure World Championship gold medalists Jennifer Kessy and April Ross to Russia. Stay posted on AVP.com for a complete Manhattan Beach bracket before the first volley.

At one of the most historic sites in beach volleyball, fans at Manhattan Beach will be entertained for the first time by the AVP Dancers, who will make their debut during breaks in the competition on July 18 and 19. Among other accomplishments, the 11-member team boasts a former Laker Girl; former cheerleaders for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers; and a “So You Think You Can Dance” finalist. Click here to visit the AVP Dancers home page.

Fans who can’t make it to Manhattan Beach but still want to catch the action and track their AVP Fantasy team players can keep up on AVP.com. Viewers in the Los Angeles area can watch the women's finals, followed by the men's finals, live on KTLA starting at 3 p.m. Sunday. Versus will also air taped telecasts of the women’s and men’s finals on Monday, July 27 at 11 p.m. EST and Tuesday, July 28 at 5 p.m. EST.