Hello, my name is Ryan Mariano and I will be keeping you up to speed on the 2009 AVP Crocs Tour. I played my college volleyball at Long Beach State University. After college I traveled over seas to Austria and Switzerland where I played indoors and taught English for six years. In 2004, I decided I wanted to try my hand in beach volleyball, and in 2006 I played in my first final at Huntington Beach. My Partner Ed Ratledge and I are ranked in the top ten and look forward to another fantastic year.

The start of the 2009 AVP Crocs Tour is around the corner and we all know what that means – it is time for summer to begin. The mix of new and seasoned partnerships, a few missing faces and new tour stops promise to make this season as exciting as ever!

Spearheading the men’s side of the tour in 2009 are none other than 2008 U.S. Gold Medalists Phil Dalhausser/Todd Rogers and 2008 Olympians Jake Gibb/Sean Rosenthal. After a thrilling 2008 there are going to be some new partnerships that guarantee even more electrifying matches and thrills in 2009. New teams to keep an eye on include Nick Lucena/Brad Keenan, John Hyden/Sean Scott and Billy Strickland/Aaron Wachtfogel.

On the women’s side the dynamic duos of Nicole Branaugh/Elaine Youngs, April Ross/Jen Boss and Jenny Johnson Jordan/Annett Davis will battle to capture the illusive AVP Crocs Tour Title. Wondering where Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh and Rachel Wacholder are? Well, they are taking the season, or at least part of the season, off for personal reasons (….something about having babies.) New teams that look to make an immediate impact are Tyra Turner/Angie Akers and Diane DeNecochea/Carrie Dodd.

This year the AVP Crocs Tour will take beach volleyball to a variety of different venues. Some will be on beautiful natural beaches and some will venture inland, allowing the AVP to bring the beach to you! Venturing away from the natural beaches baffles beach volleyball fans nationwide, until they witness the excitement and atmosphere the AVP and the players create even in a parking lot, downtown in a desert. Come and see for yourself!

The first event of the year will test the limits of a new site, Panama City Beach, FL, as the AVP Crocs Tour joins the fun in the sun during spring break! Stay tuned to the Crocs Blog and via the Crocs AVP Site…