Dodd-Hovland Win Big in Volleyball

It wasn’t long ago that the only thing a player earned on a beach volleyball court was bragging rights.

Times have changed since the pro tour started in 1978, although the sport is in its infancy by professional sports standards. Pro beach volleyball is big business now.

The final of the third and final leg of the Cuervo Gold Crown series at Mission Bay’s Mariner’s Point is evidence of the change.

Mike Dodd and Tim Hovland, the top seeds, defeated Pat Powers and Jon Stevenson, 7-1, to win $50,000.

Powers and Stevenson, who had won the two previous Gold Crown tournaments, made $20,000.

A few years ago $100,000 represented the purse for an entire season.

Randy Stoklos and Sinjin Smith were third.

The victory pushed Dodd, who played volleyball and basketball at San Diego State, and Hovland’s season earnings to $126,853 each.

Compare that to Smith, winner of 90 tournaments, who set the record for earnings in a season last year with $74,424. Prior to this season, Smith also had more career earnings, $223,437, than any player in the 10-year history of the pro beach tour.

After Saturday’s tournament there are five players who have won more than $100,000 this season and Powers, from San Diego, has made $98,139.

“Over the last three years the sport has had tremendous growth,” Dodd said. “With the increased prize money, players are devoting their full time on volleyball and the play is now at that much higher of a level.

“But it’s not only the prize money, it’s the media and the presentation of the tournaments.”

Several years ago, fans stood around the courts or sat in beach chairs to view the matches and relied on the public address announcer for information on other matches. Saturday, center court was surrounded by portable bleacher seating that accommodated 5,000 fans, while the scores of other matches were frequently displayed on a large electronic scoreboard.

Technology did not quit with the scoreboard, as Prime Ticket televised the event on a tape delay basis.

Of course, there is bound to be conflict as the sport grows. Powers can attest to this fact.

With Hovland and Dodd serving for match point, Powers tried to spike a ball from out of bounds. Where in the past only sand would have been in his way, Powers’ shot went wide as he tripped over a cameraman and helped Hovland and Dodd to the richest season in the sport’s history.