Men’s Laguna Open volleyball tournament brims with talent, director says

Laguna Beach’s Main Beach will transform into a volleyball haven this weekend as players from around the world compete in the 63rd annual Men’s Laguna Open.

The California Beach Volleyball Assn. tournament will run Saturday through Sunday with a field tournament Director Kirk Morgan described as “loaded.”

“By far, this is the largest pool of talent we’ve had since the early 1990s,” Morgan said Tuesday.

The professional tournament includes Reid Priddy, a member of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in the 2008 Beijing games, and partner Maddison McKibbin, and 2016 Laguna Open champions Chase Frishman and Mike Brunsting.

Trevor Crabb and Sean Rosenthal, who placed second at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Austin Open two weeks ago in Texas, are included in the field, as are Ed Ratledge, 2015 Laguna Open champion, and partner Eric Zaun, Morgan said.

Tournament officials could limit the field from 32 to 28 or 24 teams in the main draw depending on how many courts crews can fit onto the beach, Morgan added.

“It depends on the waves and high tides,” he said. “We hope to have six courts for a full 32 teams.”

Players will receive a confirmation email by 3 p.m. Friday, according to a California Beach Volleyball Assn. news release.

The CBVA will refund entry fees for players not selected for the main draw, the release said.

Check-in for the double-elimination tournament, which has a $5,000 purse, begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday.

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Twitter: @AldertonBryce