Check out the NVL Players Championships coverage on Sports Page Magazine.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (October 4, 2014) – The National Volleyball League concluded its pro season at the 2014 Players Championships at Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie, Florida with Canadians Josh Binstock and Sam Schachter earning their third men’s title of the year, while Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima (BRA) & Karolina Sowala (POL) took their fifth of six NVL pro tournaments to end a near-perfect season.
Four-seed Binstock and Schachter, fresh off a 4th place finish at the FIVB World Tour Sao Paolo Grand Slam event, upset one-seed Drew Mallin and Dave Palm, 21-16, 21-18. One-seed Piantadosi-Lima and Sowala defeated six-seed Brooke Niles and Jessica Stubinski, the only team to upset the winners this season, 21-16, 21-18.
“We want to congratulate all of our pros on an amazing season of high-level competition, and thank them for their commitment to this tour,” said NVL Founder & CEO Albert Hannemann. “This was an important year for the league and we’re excited to build on our success and continue to grow the game at both the pro and junior levels in 2015.”
The Players Championships were held from October 3 – 4 with the top eight men’s and women’s teams competing for a $100,000 prize purse, the largest prize purse of the season. The venue is home to the NVL Club Med Beach Volleyball Academy, the country’s first-ever beach volleyball academy and high performance training center.
“I love how the NVL reaches out to the grassroots. It’s huge for me because I remember what it was like when I was younger and what that would have meant for me,” said Binstock, a 2012 Olympian. “I’m excited to be a part of this league and I know it’s just going to keep growing.”
In conjunction with the pro tournament, the NVL held a VolleyFest fan experience for family, friends, and fans with a weekend full of volleyball festivities. The league also hosted a free clinic and tournament for the fans and juniors to play alongside and with the NVL pros. Music artist Kelley James, the official voice of the league, performed for players and fans after the men’s and women’s finals at the NVL’s “Saturday Night Lights” beach party.
All matches can be viewed online at the NVL Network.
This tournament was one of six professional events on the NVL calendar in 2014. The league plans to expand the 2015 calendar to host 10 professional events next season.
2014 NVL Tournament Summary and Winners:
MAY 22-24: TEXAS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Dallas, TX
Josh Binstock & Sam Schachter
Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima & Karolina Sowala
JUNE 12-14: ATLANTA CHAMPIONSHIPS, Atlanta, GA
Josh Binstock & Sam Schachter
Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima & Karolina Sowala
JULY 10-12: MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS, Cincinnati, OH
Brooke Niles & Jessica Stubinski
Matt Henderson & Piotr Marciniak
AUGUST 15-17: MILWAUKEE CHAMPIONSHIPS, Milwaukee, WI
Mike Placek & Austin Rester
Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima & Karolina Sowala
SEPTEMBER 19-21: HERMOSA BEACH CHAMPIONSHIPS, Hermosa Beach, CA
Mike Placek & Austin Rester
Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima & Karolina Sowala
OCTOBER 3-4: PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Port St. Lucie, FL
Josh Binstock & Sam Schachter
Priscilla Piantadosi-Lima & Karolina Sowala
For more information about the NVL, please visit: www.thenvl.com, view the NVL 2014 sizzle reel or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE
Established in 2010, the National Volleyball League is a professional beach volleyball league built by players for all players, united in one mission: to create a sustainable future for pro beach volleyball in the U.S. Home to six professional events in 2014, a nationwide grassroots beach series and the first-ever beach volleyball academy, the NVL is the only national platform for current professionals and players of all levels to showcase their talents and pursue their aspirations in the sport. Driven by a pure passion to grow the game and share the love of the sport and beach culture, the NVL is the Soul of Beach Volleyball.
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