#5 - USA Beats Brazil in World Challenge

Beach volleyball takes the number five spot in the countdown. The award goes to the AVP for its new event pitting the two best countries against each other for bragging rights. The round robin tournament was the first of its kind and featured the best five teams from both countries in a Ryder Cup format. Each team from the U.S. got a chance to take on each team from Brazil head to head and earn points for their country.

The AVP's World Challenge as it was called, makes the list because it was a great idea that brought these formidable Brazilian teams to U.S. soil for the first time in six years. Besides that we got to see match ups that would never have occurred otherwise since not all of the best American teams participate in international competition.

It was also particularly exciting because it brought Kerri and Misty back together briefly after a season off. And even though they had not competed together for months (unless you count the match against Shaq, which I don't), they managed to beat every Brazilian team in the round robin portion of the tournament including the pairs that had been at the top of the FIVB tour all summer long. An amazing feat for a woman who just gave birth and her partner who was coming back from an Achilles injury.

Kerri and Misty made it all the way to the finals but lost to Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca, the #1 team on the FIVB Tour. Walsh and May-Treanor had beaten Juliana and Larissa earlier, but were not able to do it again, probably due to a inadequate conditioning and the scorching Arizona heat. But with Phil Dalhausser putting on a blocking clinic against Alison Cerruti and Harley Marques in the finals and winning the men's competition with Todd Rogers, the U.S. took the first ever World Challenge title by just four points.

The only problem? Not enough TV time. But they can work on that for next time.

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