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PHOTOS: AVP League pro beach volleyball makes Aspen debut

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Austin Colbert
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Megan Kraft of the Miami Mayhem dives to keep the ball alive against the Palm Beach Passion in the opening match of the AVP League's stop on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Koch Park in Aspen.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The Association of Volleyball Professionals — AVP — brought its upstart AVP League to Aspen for the first time on Saturday. Playing at Koch Park — home of the longtime Labor Day tradition, the Mother Lode — a sold-out crowd saw six Olympians take the court over four games.

In its third year of existence, the AVP League is a team-based concept that includes eight main tour stops during the season, most in notable coastal locations. The league kicked off its season May 30-31 in Belmar, New Jersey, with Aspen serving as the second stop this weekend.

The league features eight city-based franchises, each with a women’s duo and a men’s duo. Four of those teams are in Aspen this weekend: the Palm Beach Passion, Miami Mayhem, Brooklyn Blaze and New York Nitro. The four teams not competing in Aspen are the San Diego Smash, L.A. Launch, Austin Aces and Dallas Dream.

Results from Saturday are as follows:

  • 2 p.m. – Women
    • Palm Beach Passion (Melissa Humana-Paredes/Brandie Wilkerson) def. Miami Mayhem (Kelly Cheng/Megan Kraft), 17-15, 11-15, 15-10 
  • 3 p.m. – Men
    • Miami Mayhem (Andy Benesh/Taylor Crabb) def. Palm Beach Passion (Trevor Crabb/Phil Dalhausser), 15-10, 15-12  
  • 4 p.m. – Women
    • Brooklyn Blaze (Lexy Denaburg/Julia Donlin) def. New York Nitro (Toni Rodriguez/Molly Shaw), 25-23, 15-9 
  • 5 p.m. – Men
    • Brooklyn Blaze (Derek Bradford/Evan Cory) def. New York Nitro (Chaim Schalk/James Shaw), 15-12, 6-15, 15-13
The Miami Mayhem, in green, play the Palm Beach Passion in an AVP League match on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Koch Park in Aspen. The Passion won, 2-1.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
New York Nitro’s Chaim Schalk, left, sends the ball past the Blaze’s Derek Bradford in their AVP League match on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Koch Park in Aspen.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

A second and final day of action is slated for Sunday at Koch Park. The schedule and match-ups are as follows:


  • 1 p.m. – Doors open 
  • 2 p.m. – Women
    • Palm Beach Passion (Melissa Humana-Paredes/Brandie Wilkerson) vs. Brooklyn Blaze (Lexy Denaburg/Julia Donlin) 
  • 3 p.m. – Women
    • Miami Mayhem (Kelly Cheng/Megan Kraft) vs. New York Nitro (Toni Rodriguez/Molly Shaw) 
  • 4 p.m. – Men
    • Palm Beach Passion (Trevor Crabb/Phil Dalhausser) vs. Brooklyn Blaze (Derek Bradford/Evan Cory) 
  • 5 p.m. – Men
    • Miami Mayhem (Andy Benesh/Taylor Crabb) vs. New York Nitro (Chaim Schalk/James Shaw)

For more details and to purchase tickets, visit avp.com.

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Reach Austin at acolbert@aspentimes.com

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