Leonard Armato formed a group of investors that took over the floundering
Association of Volleyball Professionals organization and salvaged the 2001
season and created a bright future.

"Beach volleyball was the hottest ticket at the 2000 Sydney (Olympic) Games,"
Armato said. "We want to make sure to keep the momentum going for the sport in
the United States."

That plan seems to be on track with this weekend's unique event providing an
ideal opportunity for the AVP to showcase its members and court new sponsors.

The tournament begins today with a one-day qualifying event at Sunset Park,
where two men and women will join six seeded players in each category for
competition Friday through Sunday in an outdoor stadium at the Hard Rock.

While the AVP uses a two-person format for men's and women's play throughout
the season, the King and Queen event is unique because players change partners
each match.

When the King and Queen are crowned Sunday and each receives about $25,000 of a
$150,000 purse, it will put the finishing touches on a season that nearly
didn't happen.

"This year was kind of a try-to-salvage-the-tour year," said Holly McPeak, who
won the Queen title in 1999 and is the all-time money winner among women with
$781,000.

"Leonard's group didn't come along until almost midway through the season. They
wanted to save the season and work on next year."

Beach play gained credibility in the 2000 Olympic Games and has been declared a
permanent Olympic sport.

It also helped to have someone like Armato, a successful sports agent who lists
Shaquille O'Neal as one of his clients, commit to resurrecting the AVP that he
helped start in the early 1980s.

The AVP also made tremendous strides in gender equity when it brought the
women's tour under the AVP banner.

"In the past, when the tours were separate the men were making a lot more money
than women, and we're basically doing the same thing," said McPeak, who was
recovering from jet lag Wednesday after a 15-hour journey to her home in
Manhattan Beach, Calif., from Australia, where she and partner Lisa Arce placed
fifth in the Goodwill Games.

"Women have great finesse, lots of rallies, and the men have a great power game
to watch," she said. "We perform the same sport, but we bring something
different to the table for the spectators."

McPeak, a member of the 1990 UCLA national championship indoor volleyball team,
has been playing professionally for 11 years. Last year, she won $139,900, more
than any other male or female beach player.

McPeak, 32, said she thinks she will remain one of the sport's top players for
at least four years and couldn't think of a better time to be playing.

"I'd love to be involved when it's on the upswing," she said. "I'd like to
enjoy some of the spoils of all the hard work we've put in for the last 11
years."