World-class Beach Volleyball Back on U.S. Sand with Oldsmobile Alero Beach Volleyball Series.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--April 28, 1999--

Series Spikes Beach Volleyball's U.S. Revival

Oldsmobile Alero announced today the formation of the Alero Beach Volleyball Series - A U.S. Olympic Challenge, a nine-event series developed in partnership with USA Volleyball and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

The series will officially determine the athletes who will represent the U.S. at FIVB international competitions and ultimately help identify those who will compete in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

The tournaments, which will take place during 1999 and 2000, will be telecast on ESPN and/or ESPN2. The first event sets up May 13 - 16 at Huntington Beach, Calif., and will serve as the USA Beach Volleyball Trials for the 1999 Pan American Games. The event features a $100,000 purse for both the men's and women's events. A women's only event follows June 24 - 27 in Virginia Beach, Va., and both men and women hit the sand September 10 - 12 in San Diego. Prize money for these events is also $100,000.

"Oldsmobile Alero's beach volleyball sponsorship punctuates General Motors' involvement in supporting U.S. Olympic teams for the next ten years at all levels of sport," said Michael Sands, Advertising and Sales Promotions Director, Oldsmobile Alero. "The creation of this series provides tremendous marketing value that allows Oldsmobile to not only expose our Alero brand to volleyball fans nationwide, but also to contribute to the livelihood of the sport and development of young Olympic hopefuls."

Series player rankings will be based upon results in the five most recent Alero and FIVB events competed in during the preceding 12-month period. The Alero Beach Volleyball Series rankings will determine which athletes will be nominated to represent the United States in future international competitions, including the FIVB World Tour events, the Goodwill Games and the PanAm Games. The actual selection of the four U.S. teams two men's and two women's - competing in the 2000 Olympic Games will be based on the final points standings from FIVB World Tour Events staged between January 1999 and August 2000.

FIVB World Tour Events and the Alero Series events are weighted equally; therefore, American beach volleyball players can pursue their Olympic goals in the U.S. and build a home fan base.

"Oldsmobile Alero is providing great support for American beach volleyball," said USA Volleyball Executive Director Kerry Klostermann. "The series has been designed to help us identify and nurture our most promising players for world class competition, and provide them with exposure to the American public as they gear up for events such as the Olympic Games."

The Oldsmobile Alero is the official vehicle of USA Volleyball. General Motors is the official domestic automotive sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team.