Beach Shorts: The week in the sands of the world

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The indoor courts in the Hague are hosting the World Tour during the European winter (Photocredit: FIVB)

Hello, beach volleyball fans! Welcome to 2019! We hope you have enjoyed your holidays and are ready to dive deep in the sands again as the 2019 World Tour season is already underway with an indoor four-star event happening in the Hague, the Netherlands. The Olympic qualification to Tokyo 2020 continues at full pace as the continental path to the South American countries has been announced by CSV.

Join us to know all of that and much more!

The Hague tournament kicks off the new season

The first tournament of 2019 is taking place in the Hague this week with some of the best teams in the world competing in the four-star tournament at the indoor courts of the Dutch coastal city. World Tour Finals winners Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway and April Ross and Alix Klineman of the United States, who won the tournament last year, are among the favorites to claim gold in the first weekend of the year.

Time to play tomorrow 🤗🖤🏐👏🏼 After almost half a year I look forward to battle next to @joanaheidrich again here in The Hague 👏🏼☺️🙌🏼👣 thanks to all the good souls who worked for that #comeback ! #teamjoanouk #gamemode 📷@chef.li

2,622 Likes, 34 Comments - Anouk Vergé-Dépré (@anoukvergedepre) on Instagram: "Time to play tomorrow 🤗🖤🏐👏🏼 After almost half a year I look forward to battle next to..."

South American Continental Cup to start in January

The South American Volleyball Confederation (CSV) has released its calendar for 2019 and the highlight is the Continental Cup, which will qualify one country in each gender for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. There are already five first round events confirmed in Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, including one from January 30-31.

Chile and Venezuela qualified to the Rio 2016 Olympics via the South American Continental Cup (Photocredit: FIVB)

Summer Ross notches USA Player of the Year award

Before the end of 2018, blocker Summer Ross received the USA Volleyball’s Female Beach Player of the Year award for the second time in her career – the first was in 2010. The 26-year-old blocker, who is partnering with Sara Hughes, won one gold medal in Moscow and three bronzes (Fort Lauderdale, Espinho and Yangzhou).

USA Volleyball on Twitter

It may be winter, but Summer Ross is our 2018 Female Beach Player of the Year! 🎉 https://t.co/VFK9YhY88P #USAVbeach

Social Media: Hochevar goes indoor for a new partner

American veteran Brittany Hochevar was in the hunt for a new partner after she split with Kelly Claes and the 37-year-old defender picked up an indoor talent in Carly Wopat, a former Stanford and National Team middle-blocker, who made the announcement on Instagram.

And now looking forward to the best year yet. It has been one of most difficult decisions of my life, but I've decided to make the full switch to professional beach volleyball, and begin pursuing the 2020 Olympics with @britthochevar. Brittany & I recently met and discussed making a run together. Man, was I honored. Also terrified. If I were to choose this route, it would be time to go all in with beach volleyball and give it everything I've got. That means that I would have to let go of all that I have invested with the indoor national team. I gave a huge part of my heart and years of devotion to my teammates and coaching staff, and I am forever grateful for my time and experiences with them. I will be following and supporting them the rest of the way to the Olympic podium. I do believe in timing, and feel like this is an incredible opportunity. Brittany is a warrior, and I am so looking forward to this journey we are about to embark on with @usavbeach. I still have the same end goals in mind, but my path & trajectory have changed and I'm running with it. I am adapting, growing, evolving.. and ready to ride this crazy wave. 2019, bring it on. 🌊 #2019 #newyear #ridethewave #olympicjourney #usavolleyball #beachvolleyball #fivb

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In case you missed it

These youngsters are ready to shine in 2019

Five veterans to look at in the new season

Keep an eye on these new teams

See you next week!