AVP announces teams for new league format
LOS ANGELES — The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is set to start a new season with a new team-based format on Sept. 14 at the UCLA Tennis Center in Los Angeles. Ahead of that opening weekend, the AVP has announced the rosters for each of its eight teams.
The Austin Aces:
Men’s Duo: Billy Allen and Paul Lotman
Women’s Duo: Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, Paris Olympians who played at LSU together and enjoyed an undefeated, 36-win season in 2021.
Brooklyn Blaze
Men’s Duo: Seain Cook and Cody Caldwell
Women’s Duo: Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft, two USC alums
Dallas Dream
Men’s Duo: Andy Benesh (Rancho Palos Verdes, USC) and Miles Partain (Pacific Palisades, UCLA), who represented Team USA together in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
Women’s Duo: Kylie Deberg and Hailey Harward
L.A. Launch
Men’s Duo: Tim Bomgrem and Troy Field (Laguna Beach)
Women’s Duo: Betsi Flint and Julia Scoles
Miami Mayhem
Men’s Duo: Trevor Crabb (Long Beach State) and Theo Brunner
Women’s Duo: April Ross (Newport Beach, USC) and Alix Klineman (Manhattan Beach), the gold medal winners from the Tokyo Olympic Games
New York Nitro
Men’s Duo: Taylor Sander and Taylor Crabb (Long Beach State)
Women’s Duo: Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, former USC national champs, represented Team USA together in the Paris Olympic Games
Palm Beach Passion
Men’s Duo: Phil Dalhausser, a four-time Olympian and a gold medalist from the 2008 Games, and Avery Drost
Women’s Duo: Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa H. Paredes (Paris Olympics silver medalists from Canada)
San Diego Smash
Men’s Duo: Chase Budinger and Miles Evans, who represented Team USA together in the Paris Olympic Games
Women’s Duo: Geena Urango (Los Alamitos, USC) and Toni Rodriguez
Four teams will compete in Los Angeles, next weekend, including the New York Nitro, Brooklyn Blaze, L.A. Launch and San Diego Smash. After the opening weekend, the AVP will head to Miami. Additional host cities include San Diego, Austin, Texas; Palm Beach, Florida; Oceanside, Anaheim, and Dallas. The AVP Championship will take place in Los Angeles, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on Nov. 9-10.