New Yorkers don’t need to leave the city this weekend to go to the beach as Central Park’s Wollman Rink is being converted into a sand-packed beach volleyball tournament in the heart of Manhattan.
Crews will truck in 300 tons of sand, creating an instant beach — with skyscraper views — for an Association of Volleyball Professionals League tournament. The action kicks off with matches starting at 6 pm Saturday and noon Sunday.
For Brandie Wilkerson, a right-side blocker, a silver medalist in the Paris Olympics, and a member of the Palm Beach Paradise team, playing beach volleyball in Central Park is a full-circle moment.
“One year,” she recalled, “it was my birthday and I got a trip to New York and it was so exciting.” said Wilkerson, who grew up in Toronto and said she never imagined she’d one day be spiking volleyballs in the middle of the city.
“This iconic venue in the Central Park? People are losing their minds!” she said.
AVP League
Brandie Wilkerson, 2024 Olympic silver medalist, at the Palm Beach Passion. (AVP LEAGUE)
Wilkerson, who played in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, representing Canada at the 2024 Olympics, compares this weekend’s matchups to that unique setting.
“It’s also a sign of how accessible the sport is becoming. We’re excited about the increase in diversity—how people who don’t follow volleyball or come to the beach to see games, can see us play.”
Bobby Corvino, Commissioner of the AVP League, says volleyball is experiencing a major growth spurt.
“Beach volleyball is the fastest growing sport in the country. We want to reimagine how beach volleyball is played in the world today. This is a sport that shows incredibly well on the beach and in the right venues,” he said.
After New York, the AVP tour heads to Austin and Dallas before the Labor Day Weekend finals in Chicago. Last month, the league played at EHP Resort & Marina in East Hampton with a bayside showdown that drew large crowds.
“New venues drive viewership and attendance, and that’s what we want,” Corvino added.
This weekend’s games in central Park feature both men’s and women’s matches, with teams the Austin Aces, New York Nitro, Palm Beach Paradise and San Diego Smash squaring off. The AVP’s format pits teams of two against each other in shorter matches—first to 15 points instead of 21—with games lasting around 30 minutes.
“We build the sandbox,” said Corvino. “We bring in thirty truckloads of sand on Friday so the players can have some time to practice.”
The games will also be broadcast on Saturday from 6-8 pm on YouTube (@avpbeach) and from 8 to 10 pm on The CW; and on Sunday from 12-2 pm on CBS and 2-4 pm on YouTube.
