Suspended Pair May Test AVP Again

Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana are playing again on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour--for now.

Blanton and Fonoimoana, among the top beach volleyball teams in the United States, will play in an AVP event in Belmar, N.J., this weekend, one month after they were suspended by the AVP because they registered for an international tournament in Italy instead of an AVP tournament in Muskegon, Mich.

But in order to qualify for the Olympics, they may challenge their AVP contract again.

The California duo, who trail Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson by only 18 points for the second and final U.S. Olympic spot, can only earn points toward Olympic qualifying by competing in tournaments sponsored by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball, the sport’s international governing body and an AVP adversary.

“It’s unfortunate we had to deal with any of it at all,” Blanton said. “It’s not something you want to deal with when you’re trying to make the Olympic team. The last month has been a complete waste of time on both sides.”

Bill Berger, chief executive officer of the AVP, said the duo would be welcomed back. “It doesn’t do a league any good to have continued in-fighting,” he said.

But Blanton and Fonoimoana could face more sanctions if they play in an upcoming tournament in Austria. According to their AVP contract, the players must receive permission from the AVP to compete in international events.

The players have been granted a release to play in Portugal (July 26-30) and Belgium (Aug. 9-13), but not Austria (Aug. 2-6), where Blanton-Fonoimoana have teamed for second and fourth the last two years.

“We’re going no matter what,” Fonoimoana said. “We’ll just suffer the consequences when we get back. The opportunity to be on the Olympic team is much more important than anything [Berger] can punish us with.”