May-Treanor / Walsh to Reunite for First Time in 2009 at AVP Crocs Tour World Challenge: USA vs. Brazil in Glendale, Ariz.

Back-to-back gold medalists to compete together for first time since 2008

• Press Release
• Source: AVP Pro Beach Volleyball
• On 12:00 pm EDT, Wednesday September 16, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- After a year's absence, Misty May-Treanor will return to professional beach volleyball and the AVP Crocs Tour to join long-time partner Kerri Walsh for the AVP Crocs Tour World Challenge: USA vs. Brazil presented by Sanderson Ford, Sept. 25-27 in Glendale, Ariz. The duo, which claimed back-to-back Olympic gold medals in Athens and Beijing, is the winningest team in beach volleyball history and will join the United States delegation as they face off against their counterparts from Brazil in a head-to-head tournament to determine which country reigns supreme on the beach.

"It's hard to believe it has been an entire year since I last played on tour," May-Treanor said. "I've been working hard to get back into shape after the injury and I think it will be a lot of fun getting back on the sand and playing with Kerri in this unique event."

"I'm so excited to play with Misty again," Walsh said. "I know she's been training on her own and I think we're going to find our rhythm really quickly. I couldn't ask for a better partner for this event, and her decision to play with me means so much. We have such a special relationship and I think that will really show on the court."

May-Treanor had been sidelined for the first fifteen events of the 2009 season due to an Achilles tendon injury incurred during her participation on "Dancing with the Stars," while Walsh made her return to the AVP Crocs Tour in August after giving birth to her first child. May-Treanor and Walsh have not played competitively as a team on a domestic or international stage in more than a year. Walsh had partnered with AVP star Rachel Wacholder since rejoining the Tour.

"I've loved playing with Rachel this season," Walsh said. "It's been such an experience coming back from our pregnancies together, but to join forces with Misty again to play in this special event will be incredible."

May-Treanor and Walsh have 105 and 103 career wins, respectively, which rank them first and second all-time for women. They were named AVP Team of the Year every season from 2003-2008 and went on a record-breaking 108-match win streak from 2007-2008.

The duo joined forces in August for an exhibition match against NBA star Shaquille O'Neal for the ABC television program "Shaq VS."

In addition to May-Treanor / Walsh, on the women's side athletes representing the United States are 2008 Olympians Nicole Branagh / Elaine Youngs, 2009 FIVB World Champions Jennifer Kessy / April Ross and 2000 Olympians Annett Davis / Jenny Johnson Jordan. The men's delegation will feature 2008 Olympic gold medalists Phil Dalhausser / Todd Rogers, 2008 Olympians Jake Gibb / Sean Rosenthal, and AVP stars John Hyden / Sean Scott and Brad Keenan / Nick Lucena.

The United States' delegation will be coached by 1996 Olympic silver medalist Mike Dodd.

The Brazilian men's delegation will include 2008 Olympic silver medalists Fabio Luiz Magalhaes / Marcio Aruajo, Harley Marques / Alison Cerutti, Benjamin Insafran / Pedro Salgado and 2004 Olympic gold medalists and 2008 Olympic bronze medalists Ricardo Santos / Emanuel Rego. Women's teams include Larissa Franca / Juliana Felisberta Silva, Talita Antunes / Maria Elisa Antonelli, Ana Paula Connelly / 2004 and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Shelda Bede and Maria-Clara Salgado / Carolina Salgado, sisters of men's player Pedro Salgado. More information on these teams can be found at www.bvbinfo.com.

The United States and Brazil will compete in a Ryder Cup-style round-robin tournament taking place Friday, Sept. 25 - Saturday, Sept. 26, with bronze and gold medal matches set to take place Sunday, Sept. 27. The round-robin portion of the tournament will consist of 32 total matches (16 of each gender); each match will pit a United States team against a Brazilian team. The teams with the best records emerging from pool play will face off in the bronze and gold medal matches on Sunday. Each country's second-place pool play team will battle for bronze, while the first-place teams will go for gold.

Each match will have both a point and monetary value, which will determine both the team champions and the Country Challenge champions. A total of 48 points and $200,000 will be on the line. Each round-robin match is valued at $3,000; the winner keeps $2,500, while the loser takes away $500. 32 Round-Robin matches will put $96,000 on the line in pool play. Gold, silver and bronze medalists stand to win more of the $200,000 total prize purse, with $12,000 awarded to gold, $9,000 for silver, $4,000 for bronze and $2,000 for the fourth-place team.

In addition to a team winner, a Country Challenge bonus will be awarded to the country who wins the most matches. Each Round Robin match will be worth one point towards determining the Country Challenge winner, while the bronze medal matches will be worth three points apiece and the gold medal matches, five. In the event of a tie, the men's gold medal match will serve as a tiebreaker. The winning country claims the $50,000 Country Challenge prize purse and international bragging rights.

The AVP Crocs Tour World Challenge: USA vs. Brazil presented by Sanderson Ford, is set to take place September 25-27 at Westgate City Center in Glendale, Ariz. Friday, September 25, 2009.

    Friday, September 25, 2009
    Men's and Women's Competition
    Gates open at 7:00 a.m.
    Start time 8:00 a.m. End Time (Approx) 1:30 p.m.

    Friday, September 25, 2009
    Men's and Women's Competition (Night Session)
    Gates open at 4:15 p.m.
    Start time 4:45 p.m. End Time (Approx) 10:30 p.m.

    Saturday, September 26, 2009
    Men's and Women's Competition
    Gates open at 7:00 a.m.
    Start time 8:00 a.m. End Time (Approx) 1:30 p.m.

    Saturday, September 26, 2009
    Men's and Women's Competition (Night Session)
    Gates open at 4:15 p.m.
    Start time 4:45 p.m. End Time (Approx) 10:30 p.m.

    Sunday, September 27, 2009
    Men's and Women's Competition
    Gates open at 8:15 a.m. - Finals at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
    Start time 9:15 a.m. End Time (Approx) 2:00 p.m.

For more information on the AVP Crocs Tour, please visit www.avp.com.

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About AVP, Inc.:

AVP, Inc. is a leading lifestyle sports entertainment company focused on the production, marketing and distribution of professional beach volleyball events worldwide. One of the fastest growing entities in the sports world, the AVP operates two of the industry's most prominent national touring series, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (1983) and the AVP Hot Winter Nights Indoor Tour (launched in 2008). The AVP is set to stage more than 35 events throughout the United States in 2009 and features more than 150 of the top male and female competitors in the sport. AVP athletes won both the women's and men's gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, marking the first gold medal sweep by a single country in the history of Olympic Beach Volleyball. AVP is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. For more information, please visit www.avp.com.

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