ABOUT US

Third Coast Volleyball Club is the premier beach volleyball facility of Houston and the entire Gulf Coast, and has been since it was established in 1987. Now in its third decade of business, Third Coast started when a group of beach volleyball enthusiasts led by Florida transplants Richard and Robin Hunter pooled together enough money to rent a vacant lot, build eight sand courts, a small snack bar, string up some nets, and serve up the first ball. Among those first volleyball enthusiasts and co-owner was Sinjin Smith, one of the most winning players in beach volleyball history!

Under the Hunter’s direction and with Sinjin Smith as a partner, Side Out Sportswear lent a hand and the club (then called Side Out Volleyball Club) starting a tradition of hosting top level tournaments as well as some leagues. Over the years, Olympians, AVP pros, local beach legends, collegiate athletes, and rising stars have graced the same courts families, friends, and weekend warriors play on just for fun.

In 1993 the club became known as Third Coast Volleyball Club, and the level of play and popularity continued to grow. The annual BMW Pro-Series brought talented men and women from around the country for memorable 64 team tournaments. Local players called Third Coast home and continued to make names for themselves around the Gulf Coast, as well. Third Coast weeknight leagues started to grow and expanded to include a league levels for most players.

The spring of 1996 opened with new owners at the helm. David DeMarco and Jeff Hines took control of Third Coast and continued the traditions and growth the club had experienced under the Hunters’ direction. David and Jeff had been long time supporters and players at Third Coast, so the transition seemed a natural fit.

In a further effort to bring the best players to Houston, DeMarco immediately secured a deal with the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) to have Third Coast host the AVP Southern Region Qualifiers as part of the AVP Qualifier Tour. The result was an annual weekend loaded with top level volleyball and record-setting crowds. Olympian Kevin Wong, played in the AVP Southern Region Qualifier at Third Coast the year he earned an exemption into the AVP and turned pro, as did current AVP stars Stein Metzger & Sean Scott. The duo of Dax Holdren and Todd Rogers showed off their skills at Third Coast the year they qualified for the AVP, just as Adam Jewell & Paul Baxter did when they won that same Qualifier. Local favorite & Olympian Riley Salmon, earned an exemption into the AVP for the 2001 season and started on the U.S. Olympic Team in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Riley basically grew up playing tournaments at Third Coast and has always called it his ‘home court’.

In addition to securing the AVP Southern Qualifier, David felt it was very important to offer top-notch instruction for Houston volleyball players. He contacted former Olympic Gold Medal Winner and then USC Head Coach Pat Powers, and convinced him teaching a two-day beach volleyball clinic at Third Coast was the right thing to do. Pat and David formed an immediate friendship, and Pat continued to travel to Houston each summer offering his priceless knowledge of volleyball to anyone lucky enough to listen. In 1998 Third Coast entered into an agreement with the Association of Volleyball Amateurs (AVA) and became AVA Directors for south Texas. The affiliation with the AVA offered an opportunity for local players to see how their skills compared with those of similar skill levels around the country. It also gave players a chance to qualify and play in the very prestigious AVA National Tournament held every September in Santa Barbara, California. And, let’s not forget the excellent tournament prizes secured by AVA national sponsors such as Wilson Volleyballs and WearEver Chairs!

By word of mouth, the weeknight volleyball leagues at Third Coast became so popular two additional courts were installed in the summer of 2000 to handle the overflow. Having ten lighted courts made Third Coast the largest volleyball facility in or around Houston and south Texas!

In the fall of 2002 Third Coast & the GCVA (represented by Vic Clifford) decided it was time for the volleyball players of Texas to be united, so they joined forces to form the TEXAS VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION (TVA). TVA Directors agreed to not schedule events on the same day so players may enjoy TVA events most weekends during the long south Texas volleyball season at either Third Coast or on Stewart Beach in Galveston. 2007 marked the first year of the ‘TVA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES’ so true TVA Champions can be crowned. This tournament series begins with two Feeder Events at both Third Coast and on Stewart Beach where players earn TVA points for placing and participating in the event, as well as earning BONUS PRIZE POINTS. The TVA points are then used to help determine player seeding in the TVA CHAMPIONSHIP held on Saturday, September 22 at Third Coast! The TVA is now the largest beach volleyball organization in all of Texas. With the beginning of 2007 came a call from the head of the new and exciting EVP Tour, Ross Balling. Ross and David DeMarco have been friends for years and Third Coast seemed to be a natural fit to their proposed 2008 expansion in Texas. The EVP is making plans to add a Texas stop to their EVP Tour in 2008 and are now Third Coast’s newest sponsor. You can see the EVP in action at the Houston Grand Prix. The ladies of the EVP Tour will be battling it out for big money at this local event in April. This year we are pleased to announce that the TVA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES & FEEDER EVENTS are sponsored by the CORONA LIGHT EVP TOUR! There are great specials on CORONA LIGHT and bigger and better prizes at these events thanks to the CORONA LIGHT EVP TOUR!

Corporate & Private Parties continue to flourish at Third Coast and repeat groups seem to be the norm. Once a group has had an event at Third Coast they return year after year for their annual volleyball parties and tournaments. The events seem to get bigger and more popular with the groups each time! Several companies have 3 or 4 yearly events at Third Coast. We pride ourselves on making the Corporate & Prviate Events the absolute best they can be and the most fun possible for the players and spectators alike. The addition of several flat screen TVs and even more labels of beer gives the clubhouse more of a sportsbar atmosphere which both spectators and players seem to enjoy! The addition this year of a solid roof over the front deck and decorative thatching over the decks and gazebo has made Third Coast more weatherproof which is always good in Texas weather!

Third Coast Volleyball Club promises to continue striving to be the premier facility for Beach Volleyball & Special Events for many, many years to come! Serve em’ up!