More than 150 professional athletes will bump, set and spike on the shores of Tempe Town Lake this weekend for the third annual Association of Volleyball Professionals Tempe Open beach volleyball tournament.
"We're turning Tempe Beach Park into a beach," said Leonard Armato, commissioner of the AVP. Tempe and AVP will dump 20 tons of sand onto existing volleyball courts at the park for the tournament.
Armato said over the course of a weekend the tournament, one of 14 stops on the AVP tour, could draw 50,000 to 75,000 spectators.
The event will attract more than 150 professional athletes, including Olympic medalists Misty May, Kerri Walsh, Dain Blanton, Eric Fonoimoana and Karch Kiraly, Armato said.
The games will be held throughout Tempe Beach Park, closing much of the park to the public during the weekend, said Mark Richwine, Tempe parks and recreation administrator.
Beth Henningsen, a kinesiology sophomore, said she plans to attend the tournament this weekend.
"I'm excited to see what it's all about," she said.
Henningsen said she did not know much about beach volleyball, but she played court volleyball in high school.
"I miss it a lot, so this should be fun," she added.
The tournament runs from 10 a.m. today to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Today's qualifying rounds are free to the public. Saturday and Sunday admission for students is $5 and general admission is $15 per day.
The student admission price is only available at the gate the day of the tournament. General admission tickets can be purchased in advance at www.avp.com or at the tournament ticket booth at Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway beginning today.
Reach the reporter at emilia.arnold@asu.edu.
