There was a recent change of scenery at Viejas Arena as the beloved basketball court turned into a sandy terrain for two-on-two beach volleyball this weekend.
The Association of Volleyball Professionals League held its week three matchups in its first visit to San Diego. Four of the eight teams that make up the league played at Viejas, including the city’s newest sports team- the San Diego Smash.
“It’s nice to finally play a volleyball tournament here,” Smash player Chase Budinger said. “San Diego should have some sort of beach volleyball tournament event because it is such a rich culture in the volleyball world.”
Budinger might ring some bells for NBA fans as Budinger played seven years in the NBA before making the transition to beach volleyball.
“I grew up playing both sports,” Budinger said. “It was always the plan to switch back to beach volleyball when I was done with my basketball career. When I made the switch, my body was healthy, and I wanted to see how high of a level I could take my volleyball career.”
Budinger played for Team USA during the Paris Olympics alongside his partner Miles Evans. Budinger and Evans also teamed up during last month’s AVP Chicago Open event before continuing their partnership with the Smash.
“We had amazing careers and became Olympians, and we continue to work and grow as a team,” Budinger said.
On the other side, Geena Urango and Toni Rodriguez lead the women’s team. Urango is a ten-year veteran for the AVP while Rodriguez is in her second year. This is the first time both players have teamed up for a competition.
“Ever since August, we have been hitting the ground running with a lot of events and tournaments, so it has been fun having time together to progress as a team and see our growth over the season,” Urango said.
The league’s playing format is different from the AVP’s usual events. The first team to reach 15 points wins the set, and a team only needs two sets to win a match.
“With the different format of the shorter games, it is important to jump on the team pretty quickly,” Urango said. “It has been a little bit of a struggle but at the end of the day, it is a different challenge and is something we all are adjusting to.”
While the men’s and women’s teams play separately, the records of both teams are combined for an overall record.
The Smash kicked off the season splitting its matches 2-2 after facing the Los Angeles Launch and Brooklyn Blaze. However, week three proved to be a struggle for the Smash.
On Saturday, the Smash lost both games against the New York Nitro. The women’s team was swept in a tight matchup, and the men’s team tied the match 1-1 but lost in the last set 11-15. The Nitro before Sunday’s game was undefeated with a 6-0 record.
Day two was no different for the Smash as both teams lost against the Miami Mayhem. This time, the women’s team tied the game 1-1 after a 15-11 win; however, the team could not close the gap in the third set, ultimately losing 11-15. Finally, the men’s team was swept by the Mayhem, moving the team’s overall record to 2-6.
Outside of the Smash, San Diego fans experienced a game between two undefeated men’s teams, the Dallas Dream and Nitro. The Dream led by Miles Partain and Andy Benesh remains undefeated after beating the Nitro in two tight sets.
“It is always a battle when we play them,” Benesh said. “We played them a couple times this year, and it has been high-level volleyball, so It’s nice to come out on the good side and get the win.”
The league heads to Austin, Texas on Oct. 5 for its week four games. However, the Smash will not return to play until week seven. The team will head to the Honda Center to face the Austin Aces on Oct. 26 and the Palm Beach Passions on Oct. 27.
