SMVC 2011 - May 20-22!

1For all the details, info, results, pictures and other goodies, visit our new website: www.smvclassic.com
Don't miss the best volleyball event this side of the Sandia's!

SMVC as a Fundraiser for Cancer

My name is Sonny Marquez. I am the founder and producer of Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic, a Pro/Am tournament held annually in Albuquerque. The first year, the tournament was held to bring top level 2 on 2 beach volleyball to my home state so local players didn’t have to travel out of state to find stiff competition. In the second year of the tournament, I focused on selling out the event by maximizing team participation, and was able to do so after such a successful tournament the year before.

Shortly after the 2008 tournament I was diagnosed with a Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma of the minor salivary gland, a very rare Cancer of the head and neck. This was the beginning of an eventful and uncertain future for me. After a series of CT scans and a trip to UCLA Medical Center, it was determined I needed surgery to remove a tumor in my nasal cavity, and another to remove a tumor in my lymph nodes. Six weeks of radiation followed. This was one of the most difficult and challenging experiences of my life.

I was diagnosed with cancer in June of 2008, completed my final treatments in October, and went back to work in February. I have had to miss work due to appointments, surgeries, treatments, and the added stress of battling a deadly disease. Many others have to deal with the same issues, and I believe they shouldn’t have to struggle with their finances in the same manner.

In 2009, the 3rd annual Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic will be dedicated to survivors and those battling cancer. I have teamed up with the New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves cancer patients who receive care at their New Mexico centers. The New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation is dedicated to supporting their patients non-medical needs during their battle against cancer. They establish assistance and educational programs to meet the financial, emotional and psychological needs of patients. I hope as a sponsor you join us to help those battle the ultimate battle!

It all goes down Saturday Night!

Be ready for Saturday night action over at Sneakerz Sports Bar. Not only will there be a killer party with DJ, food and drink specials, but there will be volleyball! Great volleyball! We are expecting to host the women's and men's semi final matches under the new lights, starting at 7:00PM. Sneakerz is located at: 4100 San Mateo NE; Albuquerque, NM 87110. (505) 837-1708.

Almost Time!

We are closing in on the 2008 SMVC presented by Angel Fire Resorts. You won't want to miss this event, Albuquerque the Magazine has named it one of the top ten events in the city for the month of May. Teams have been lining up and entries pouring in. There are only a few spaces left in various divisions, the tournament is being capped at 70 teams! Want to know who is signed up so far? Check out this list. We'll be updating it periodically (Last update: 5/16 - Seeding Added in MO, MA, WO):

Teams that owe entry fee must pay at check-in!
CASH ONLY (no checks or credit cards)!
All Teams Play @ Charlie's Sandbox
Men's & Women's Open Semifinals @ Sneakerz

OPEN MENS
1 RAN KUMIGSKY/ EYAL ZIMET / CA/HI
2 RYAN POST / RANDY MEADOR CO/ TX
3 MATT MULLER / JOE TASSIA WA
4 ADAM RUBEL / LORIC BOX NM
5 MATTHEW GORDON/ DANIEL DALANHESE UT
6 DAVE MAITLAN / JOHN STALLS CO
7 KEVIN MOLLMAN/ JAKE PAUL CO
8 JAMES HART/ JOSH CROUCH MO/TX
9 JASON SANDS/ CLAY DAHLMAN CO
10 CHRIS ROOSILD / ADAM CABBAGE NM
11 BRYAN KLINE / DAVE GIRTS NM/NJ
12 ROB PIERCE/JORGE ALARCON NM
13 DANIEL FOO/ DUSTIN NM

MEN’S A
1 LARRY CORNWELL /DESI VIGIL NM
2 JAMES McCLIER/ LANCE BRADBURY CO
3 CLARE DUNNING/ CHAD BOMGAARS CO
4 MATT JENSEN/ RICARDO SANCHEZ NM
5 DAVID STRAWN / DAVE BARTLING CO
6 OLLI TARVAINEN/ TONY SHIMKUS NM/ JPN
7 HARRIS ZEYAEE / KAMERON CHENEY NM
8 CAMERON VIGIL / JEFF HART NM
9 ED SNYDER/ JIM PANDO TX
10 PAUL SANCHEZ / RAY GARCIA NM
11 CHRIS SKINNER/CHRIS ARNOLD CO
12 ZACHARY DREW/ ADRIAN REEVES NM
SONNY MARQUEZ/ TBA NM/

MEN’S B
ADAM CAROPPOLI / CHRIS TRUJILLO NM
DARREN HIBRAY / SHANE MURDI NM
JAKE BAILEY / LARS EGENES NM
DANIEL PIMENTEL/DERECK ROBINSON NM
KEVIN JOHNSON / GLEN ROYBAL NM
BRIAN SISSEL/ JAMES NM
GARRET SCHOLER/ TBA CA
MIKE McCRACKEN/ DEREK REEDER NM
RANDY BEEBE/ CARY NM
DENNIS HUFF/ SAM VILLA REAL TX
MIKE FEDOR/ BRIAN ATWOOD NM
MERLE ALBRIGHT/ RICK MARTINS NM

WOMENS OPEN
1 JENEE GILLIAM/ AUDRA LITTOU CO
2 KRIS BREDEHOFF/ JENNIFER JONES CO
3 BIANCA PEIGLER/ SHANNON SNEED CA
4 CHRISTA FARRIS/ PATTY ADER NM
5 STEPH SHIMKUS/ JACKIE BERNARDIN JPN/NM
6 LESLIE WEED /GEORGIA MOORE VIADO CO
7 CRYSTAL CAREY / KIM PAUL CO
8 JADE MICHAELSEN / LISA MEETER NM
9 COURTNEY BOISSENET/RUBY LUCERO CO
10 ELIZABETH CARTER /KIMMIE SCHRUPP CO
11 JEANIE FAIRCHILD / KELSI PHILLIPS NM
12 SARAH KWASIGROCH / ANNA LEHNE NM
13 AMY WONG / ROSE MORRIS NM

WOMENS A
MERIDETH JOHNSTON / STEPHANIE RODRIGUEZ NM
KRISSY PIMENTEL / DAVINA ROMERO NM
MARIANNA MARCHENKO/ FELICIA LILL FL/NM
GAYLE TRIPP / TAYLOR HADFIELD NM
MELISSA MIDDLETON / ALLIE SUITER NM
CAROL MACKEY/ KAREN FAULKNER CO
CHRISTY VALDEZ/ MARIA MARION NM
CHILA MORRIS/ VANESSA VANZIN CO
JENNI DEGREEFF/ SARAH HAMMOND AZ/NM
RONDI HESTON/ JOBY NAGER CO

WOMENS B
STEPHANIE VALENCIA / CHANDRA WEAVER NM
CHRISTINS BAILEY / ASHLEY NM
COLLEEN ELLIOTT / LINDA KEYLOCK CO
ASHLEY BACA / COURTNEY CAMPO NM
PAULA TARVAINEN/ SUSANNA PIER NM
MOLLY BAILEY / NICHOLE VOISEN NM
BETH STEELE/ BRI IVERS NM

SMVC ’08 is Right Around the Corner!

Just a few weeks until the rockingest tournament in the state! Make sure you get your entries in soon, as the deadline is May 1st! Looking for a partner? Want to talk with other SMVC participants? Check out the new MySpace group.
Lots of good things are on tap for the event, both inside and outside of the volleyball arena. First, we welcome Angel Fire Resorts as the title sponsor for this year's Sandia Mountain Classic! Cash payouts have been upped and now stand at a respectable $1,500 for Men’s Open and $800 for Women’s Open. Plus, there are tons of great prizes in the other divisions from event sponsors including Plastic, Angel Fire Resort ski passes and much, much more. Maui Wowi will be out at the event, running limbo contests and serving up some pretty smooth frozen treats and smoothies. There will be lots more entertainment provided during the day and don’t forget about the players party Saturday night! Word on the street is that fans will be treated to a special “night” session with some of the top teams in the tournament competing right in front of a somewhat insane party at Sneakerz sports bar.
There is also a raffle with great prizes: FIRST PLACE: SEASON LIFT PASS TO ANGEL FIRE RESORT 2008/2009.SECOND PLACE: 2 NIGHTS 2 DAY LIFT PASSES FOR 2 AT ANGEL FIRE RESORT.THIRD PLACE: 4 LIFT TICKETS TO ANGEL FIRE RESORT. FORTH PLACE: 4 LIFT TICKETS TO ANGEL FIRE RESORT.FIFTH PLACE: ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR PLASTIC CLOTHING GIFT CERTIFICATE. SIXTH PLACE : ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR PLASTIC CLOTHING GIFT CERTIFICATE. DRAWING TO BE HELD ON MAY 17, 2008 AT SNEAKERZ SPORTS BAR 8 PM. WINNERS WILL BE POSTED AT: SANDIAVOLLEYBALL.BLOGSPOT.COM. NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN. Contact Sonny Marquez for tickets: 505 269-6119;sonny@plasticclothing.com
Entries are flooding in from across the country, don’t miss your chance to be a part of a really, really fun weekend!

Official SMVC Press Release

BEACH VOLLEYBALL REVISITS THE HIGH MOUNTAIN DESERT REGION IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM

2nd Annual Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic will draw national competition, fans.

Albuquerque, NM, May 17th & 18th 2008 – The Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic returns for its second year to Albuquerque, attracting top level competition from around the nation and offering multiple divisions for event participants. Set at the foothills of the majestic Sandia Mountains at an elevation of more than a mile above sea level, this unique event has grown to the largest all sand two-on-two beach volleyball tournament in the region. With nationwide competitors, the SMVC offers different levels of play for men and women ranging from amateur to professional.

Last year’s inaugural Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic was a great success with over 50 teams representing seven different states. Due to the elevated competition level, additional teams and substantial prize packages, this year’s event promises to be even more exciting. Attempting to reclaim a second year title, 2007 SMVC winner and pro Volleyball player, Ivan Mercer from California, will return with a new partner, Eyal Zimet from Hawaii. Mercer is also the reigning two-time champion of the Motherlode event in Aspen, having won last year with Zimet. As a former Miami Hurricanes tight end, Mercer considered a career in the NFL with the Redskins before pursuing beach volleyball. While at the University of Hawaii, Zimet led the Warriors to an NCAA men's volleyball championship in 2002 as the team captain. Until he landed a job on the show Lost, which is filmed in Hawaii, his only experience then was the indoor game. While majoring in Computer Science at the University of Hawaii, Zimet was Matthew Fox's stand-in and stunt double for the ABC drama's first 2 ½ seasons.

The Sandia Mountain Classic will take place in tandem at Charlie's Sand Box and Stone Face Tavern - at the corner of Paso del Norte and San Pedro in Albuquerque, NM. Competition levels for men and women are: “Pro”, “A” and “B”. Entries are limited to 16 teams per division, except men’s pro which is 24. This is a double elimination tournament played over the two day weekend, with check-in at 8:00AM on Saturday, May 17th. Entry fees are $60/ team in the amateur divisions and $80/ team in the pro division. Cash is awarded for top finishes in the pro divisions while prizes are given in the amateur divisions. Admission is free for the public. Sneakerz Sports Bar, 4100 San Mateo NE, has been selected as the 2008 Player’s Party Headquarters.

Sponsorship Opportunities are still available. For information and deadlines, contact Sonny at 505-269-6119 or sonny@plasticclothing.com

Additional details, including event registration information are available on the official event website: http://sandiavolleyball.blogspot.com/

Let's get ready for SMVC 2008!

The wheels are turning behind the scenes. The 2008 Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic will be held May 17th and 18th! Yes, that is the week after Mother's Day. Lots of good things are in the works. We've signed a great tournament director and are getting out onto the sponsorship trail. Expect more top teams from around the nation to be competing and divisions for every level of competition! In the next few weeks, we will be making many updates to this site, including info on the '08 event and how to get your entry in early as well as updated results, pictures, and maybe even video from the '07 event. It may be cold outside, but it is time to start getting ready for summer!

Getting Close

Just a couple of days out and we're right at the 50 team mark! We might have a few last minute editions as teams are bounced from the AVP in Glendale. The weather is looking great for this weekend, upper 80's and sunshine. Just found out that 93.3 Kob will be announcing the event on their morning show Friday AM! Hopefully we'll get some more media covering the event as well. It's looking like pool play for all divisions other than open, which will be double elim match play. The Albuquerque Rebels Volleyball Club will be selling food and snacks to raise money. Don't forget about the players party Saturday night at Sneakerz.

Beach Volleyball in the Desert!

Big things are coming together for the Sandia Mountain Volleyball Classic (SMVC)! With more and more players signing up as we approach the registration deadline, we're looking at some quality teams from different parts of the country and filling all the divisions. Sponsors are coming up big time, we've now got cash and prizes in excess of $4,000 - yes Four Thousand Dollars! The player party is shaping up to take place at Sneakerz Sports Bar on Saturday night, and is just a part of all the festivities to take place during the weekend. The host hotel, Motel 6 is offering a killer rate for the event - $36/ night and super close to the event - so all you outta'towners have no excuse for not coming down and helping make this one of the most exciting volleyball events NM has ever seen! So, get your team registered, call Sonny if you have any troubles, and come on down and be a part of something so super-huge, it will make you cry! Here are a few pictures from the event site, to get you all super excited!

VOLLEYBALL FACT SHEET

DID YOU KNOW...

· Volleyball is the second most popular amateur participatory team sport in the United States trailing only basketball.

· The sport is growing at the rate of over ten percent each year.

· 800 million people play volleyball in 210 countries-46 million in the U.S. 650 million in 178 countries, by comparison, play soccer.

· Volleyball is three and a half times bigger than tennis, golf, and other sports that are considered to be lifetime sports.

· It is a game played nearly 50-50 by men and women.

· 58 percent of participants are between the ages of 18 and 34.

· Beach volleyball debuted as a medal sport in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

· Nationwide, 38 million people play volleyball 25 times or more per year.

· Volleyball is an American game originated in Holyoke, Massachusetts 110 years ago.