Sean Rosenthal announced Thursday on social media that he will partner with NBA veteran Chase Budinger for the 2018 season. The 6-foot-7 Budinger played most recently in Baskonia, Spain. His NBA career from 2009-2016 included playing for the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and Phoenix Suns.
A former La Costa Canyon standout volleyball player in high school, Budinger was regarded as one of the top recruits in the nation, but chose instead to focus on basketball. He did play one Corona Wide Open event during the NBA lockout in 2011, finishing 33rd with Dane Jensen, as well as competing in a number of Manhattan Six-Man events.
Budinger’s older brother Duncan is a 12-year veteran of the AVP tour, having finished as high as ninth in Ocean Park in 2009.
Rosenthal and Trevor Crabb recently split after partnering together in 2017, garnering four seconds, two third, and a fifth on the AVP tour.
Internationally the pair earned a fifth and three 17th-place finishes on the FIVB tour.
AVPFirst releases 2018 tournament schedule: AVPFirst, the non-profit arm of the AVP charged with promoting the sport at the junior levels, continues to grow with the release of its 2018 schedule, including over 140 national events. The AVPFirst national championship will be at the Hermosa Beach stop July 24-29, 2018.
AVPFirst will again host eight events towards earning bids for the championship events , including four zonal and gold events in Phoenix, Houston, Seattle, Austin, New York City, Atlanta, Huntington Beach and San Francisco.
“We couldn’t be happier with the position of AVPFirst right now,” said Tony Giarla, Executive Director, AVPFirst. “Our competitive programming opportunities are exploding all over the country, our National Championship event in 2017 was unmatched and our efforts to create access for all children, regardless of the neighborhood in which they reside are positively impacting hundreds of young athletes each year through our Community Corner Program.”
Hamburg site of 2019 World Championships: The FIVB announced that Hamburg will host the 2019 World Championships at the Am Rothenbaum stadium. Hamburg has been the host for the world tour finals in 2016 and 2017.
It will be the first opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“Germany is a key market for the FIVB and we are delighted that Hamburg is committed to delivering major FIVB beach volleyball events and showcasing the great appeal and popularity of our sport,” said FIVB president Ary Graça in a news release.
“I have no doubt that the city will be an excellent host for the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships, and will build up on the success of the 2017 edition staged in Vienna. This event always demonstrates the FIVB’s core principles of skill, athleticism and teamwork, acting as one to achieve the ultimate success.”
Ali Lamberson returns to Tulane:Â Wood, who spent 2016 and 2017 assisting the USC beach program to national championships after assisting at Tulane in 2015, returns as a volunteer assistant. Lamberson has also served as head coach of the USA U-17 beach national team from 2013-2015, and served as lead cadre member for the Beach Coaching Accreditation program since 2007.
Teams announced for FIVB Shepparton: The FIVB one-star event in Shepparton, Australia, February 1-4 includes Amanda Dowdy and Irene Pollock, who are seeded fourth, with Jace Pardon and Caitlin Ledoux seeded eighth.
On the men’s side, Eric Zaun and Adam Roberts are seeded third in the qualifier, with Chase Frishman and Avery Drost seeded fourth.
