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| Kristin Hildebrand (Top) and Lauren Paolini |
The AVP Seattle Open will kick off on Thursday at Bottega Fitness Park with the Women's qualifier tournament featuring a pair of indoor national team players working to qualify for a spot in the main draw at Lake Sammamish State Park on Friday. USA Indoor National team duo Kristin Hildebrand and Lauren Paolini will be one of the top stories to watch as they compete in their first event together on the sand. Play starts at 8am and admission is free. Stop by on your way to Seaside and check out some of the best volleyball ever to hit the Bottega sand.
Hildebrand and Paolini were part of the USA Women's Team that won the Pan American Games Gold Medal last month. They will be competing to earn a main draw spot against a very talented 16 team field that also includes several players with Northwest roots trying to further develop their beach volleyball resume in a friendly setting.
Players with Northwest Roots
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Summer Nash
Photo Credit: Brian White |
Bishop Blanchet High School and Kent Juniors product Summer Nash is returning home to try and earn her second main draw appearance of the 2015 AVP Season. Since winning the WIAA 3A State Championship with Bishop Blanchet High School in 2009, Nash has played at San Diego State and Florida International University. She competed throughout this summer in the AVPNext Florida events and earned a main draw seed in the AVP New York City event earlier this summer. She is partnered for this event with veteran Gretchen Duffner-Hand.
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Nicole Bateman
Photo Credit: Rich Quinn |
Nicole Bateman has been missing from the Alki Volleyball Association scene this year. She moved to Southern California during the off season and is returning to the Pacific Northwest to attempt to earn her first ever main draw appearance in an AVP event. Bateman will be playing with youngster Laurne Sieckmann. It will not be the first time that Bateman has played in Snohomish County. Last year she competed at Jetty Island with partner Jill Sawatzky and finished second in a Puget Sound Region event.
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| Janelle Allen |
Eastern Washington University alumni Janelle Allen is returning to the West side of the state to earn her second main draw seed in the 2015 season. Paired with Tracy Morin, the duo qualified for the main draw in AVP New Orleans and just missed making it in the AVP New York City event. Allen will no doubt want to make the main draw and get to spend the weekend playing on the big stage in front of family and friends.
The full qualifier bracket will be released late Wednesday or early Thursday. Follow BeachVBC on Twitter and Instagram for coverage of the event. If you would like to volunteer to help out, please email beachvbc@gmail.com.
