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player ready...Playing for USC, Geena Urango was the first person to earn an NCAA scholarship for beach volleyball, so she has had a unique perch to observe the growth of not just her sport but all women’s sports.
She will bring her experience to Chicago this weekend as part of the AVP League Championship at Oak Street Beach.
“People are willing to show up, people are willing to invest and it’s an exciting sport,” Urango told the Tribune. “Once you attend an event, you’re like, ‘Oh, my God, that was so exciting and that was so fun to watch and I’m a fan now.’ And it’s just a matter of getting people there, getting people to tune in and see how captivating and honestly challenging the sport is.”
Playing in Chicago has become a Labor Day tradition for the beach volleyball circuit. The annual event on the lakefront spotlights not only beach volleyball, but also Chicago’s iconic skyline. The AVP season has had stops in traditional venues such as Long Beach, Calif., and Miami and has added spots such as the Las Vegas Strip and Central Park in New York.
“It’s just been fun to see the fan base around each of these cities and how the people are excited to see it and excited to have the sport brought to their area,” Urango said. “Obviously Chicago is another iconic spot that has always had an amazing fan base since I first started playing on the AVP years ago.”
The AVP stop won’t be the only volleyball event at a well-known Chicago venue this weekend. Wrigley Field will be the site of a women’s college doubleheader Sunday night featuring longtime indoor power and top-ranked Nebraska taking on Missouri, followed by No. 3 Kentucky versus No. 13 Penn State.
The Cornhuskers played last week at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“It’s really exciting. I think college beach has definitely helped beach volleyball,” Urango said. “The women’s indoor game and all these special places they’re going, like the Nebraska team and how they’re doing all these highlighted events at these really special arenas, it just shows that there is growth for our sport.
“And one of the things that is also promising is that the (2028) LA Olympics are here, so the hype around the sport is being heightened too.”
Urango and teammate Megan Rice will play their first match at noon Saturday against Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft of Miami Mayhem.
How the AVP League Championship works
Eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams are paired, and each team wins points based on how they compete at each stop of the AVP League Tour. This weekend’s event in Chicago is the league’s championship, with the top two teams getting byes into the semifinals.
Women’s team to watch: Palm Beach Passion
Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, Olympic silver medalists for Canada in 2024, have been the team to beat in the AVP this season. With a 6-2 record, they top the women’s leaderboard and will want to top off the season with a league championship. Their biggest competition could come from Cheng and Kraft or Taryn Brasher and Kristen Cruz, who come to Chicago riding the momentum of big wins in Dallas and Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Men’s teams to watch: Palm Beach Passion and Miami Mayhem
The top two teams in the AVP feature a family rivalry. The Mayhem’s Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh top the leaderboard, followed closely by the Passion’s Trevor Crabb — Taylor’s brother — and Phil Dalhausser. The teams have the same record (7-1), and Miami is up one match point over Palm Beach. Both have byes to the semifinals, meaning they have to win only one match each to set up a faceoff of two of the best U.S. teams.
What you need to know to attend
Action kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Oak Street Beach, 1001 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The women’s final will start at 1 p.m. Sunday with the men’s final at 2 p.m. Check the AVP website
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for tickets. Public transportation is encouraged to get to Oak Street Beach, or look for nearby parking garages and rideshares.Maggie Hendricks is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.