Beach volleyball the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was founded. At the professional level, the sport remained fairly obscure until the 1980s when beach volleyball experienced a surge in popularity with high-profile players such as Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, and Karch Kiraly. Kiraly won an Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball in its first Olympic appearance in 1996, adding that to the two Olympic golds he won as part of the USA men's indoor team, and has won 142 titles. In the 1980s, the sport gained popularity on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1986, the
2015 PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2015 PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup The 2015 PLDT Home Ultera PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup was the inaugural beach volleyball tournament of the Philippine Super Liga and the second tournament for its third season. The conference began on July 18, 2015 and ended on August 8, 2015 at the newly opened The Sands, SM By The Bay (SM Mall of Asia). The games were held for four consecutive Saturdays. The tournament was co-sponsored by Smart Communications. "NOTE: MERALCO won via default". Danika Gendrauli and Jane Diaz prevailed in the final game of the PSL's Beach VB Challenge Cup. Gendrauli