AVP Athletes to Represent USA in China this Spring

Many of the top AVP athletes are gearing up to represent the USA in a pair of international competitions in China at the end of April.

Fuzhou Open

USA Volleyball has entered six women’s and four men’s teams in this year’s opening round of FIVB Open Beach Volleyball competition, which is set to take place April 23-28 in Fuzhou, China.

Teams representing the USA will go into the Fuzhou Open with a heavy AVP presence on both the women’s and men’s side.

Among the female AVP players who will take part in the competition are 2012 Olympic silver medal duo Jennifer Kessy and April Ross. Also representing the AVP on the women’s side will be Brittany Hochevar and Nicole Branagh who will partner with Summer Ross and Lauren Fendrick respectively.

The other female players representing the USA in Fuzhou will be duos: Jennifer Fopma and Brooke Sweat; Jenny Kropp and Whitney Pavlik; and Emily Day and Heather Hughes.

AVP athletes competing on the men’s side in Fuzhou include the duo of Todd Rogers and Ryan Doherty, who will be looking to improve on their second place finish at last month’s NORCECA Beach Circuit event in the Cayman Islands.

Also representing the AVP will be the duo of Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson, along with Phil Dalhausser, who will make his debut appearance with new partner Sean Rosenthal. AVP player Brad Keenan will also compete at the Fuzhou Open and will partner Nick Lucena.

Shanghai Grand Slam

Immediately following the Fuzhou Open, many AVP athletes will then travel to Shanghai, China to compete in the 2013 Shanghai Grand Slam, which takes place April 30-May 5.

The AVP’s Jennifer Kessy and April Ross will continue their established partnership, while fellow AVP women’s player Brittany Hochevar will partner with Emily Day.

Also representing the USA on the women’s side at the Grand Slam will be duos: Summer Ross and Heather Hughes; Lauren Fedrick and Nicole Branagh; and Jennifer Fopma and Brooke Sweat.

AVP men’s duos Todd Rogers and Ryan Doherty, along with Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson will compete in the Grand Slam. As will the AVP’s Phil Dalhausser and Brad Keenan, who will once again partner with Sean Rosenthal and Nick Lucena respectively.