Beach volleyball tournament set May 13-14

Both novice and seasoned athletes will descend on Rehoboth Beach Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14, for the annual First Rites of Summer beach volleyball tournament. It’s an amateur event for players of all ages, with competition in doubles, triples, fours and sixes. There are different divisions offered each day so players can play both days if they choose. 

The action starts at 9 a.m., Saturday, with play happening from Wilmington Avenue to the south end of the Boardwalk.   

Competitors range from young beginners to experienced, elite athletes. Saturday’s competition will be divided by gender, while Sunday will feature mixed and coed teams.

Divisions for senior men and women will also be offered this year. On Saturday, there will be doubles nets for those 50-plus and 60-plus, and Sunday will have mixed teams of fours, 50-plus and 60-plus.

The event is free for spectators who want to watch the high skill level of players on the beach, where the net is just as high as indoors and most of the teams are doubles, meaning there are only two players on each side covering quite a large area of deep sand.  

Depending on the number of team registrations, the sand conditions and weather, upwards of 100 nets will be set up by volunteers of Mid-Atlantic Volleyball. The event will be held rain or shine. If conditions are too difficult or dangerous, one or both days of competition may be canceled.     

This event and MAV’s sister tournament each year after Labor Day (the Mayor’s Cup) are a win-win for the players and for the City of Rehoboth Beach. The players get a chance to get back to the beach after a long off-season, and the local merchants benefit from an influx of out-of-towners traveling from as far as Ohio and Florida, but mostly from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey.   

MAV Director Ricardo Vera said, “This is our 36th year of running this tournament. It’s great to see the growth of the game, with young players signing up in droves, and at the same time, some of our veteran teams that have played in each and every one of the tournaments from the beginning.”  

MAV board member Dave Ludington said: “Families and friends get together for a long weekend or even a full-week vacation to spend in Rehoboth. A week that revolves around playing on one or both days of the tournament. Volleyball is a great way to get friends together and to keep them coming together for years to come.”   

There’s still time to register at all levels. Information and registration can be found at mavolleyball.org.