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Meet Suzanne Stonebarger and Michelle More, two of today’s hottest athletes, strutting their stuff and their skills in the blazing sun. Smart and sweet, these girls have the drive, the energy and the talent to conquer their goals, which include hopefully one day, the Olympics. But for now, the girls are happy to stay “focused on the AVP” where they compete in the only pro-beach tour in the country.

THE STAR SCOOP:
We hear you’re training for the Olympics.

MICHELLE MORE
It’s so far away. We’re also really focused on the AVP as well, because the AVP is kind of a stepping stone for us, so our main focus right now is kind of the stepping stone, it’s kind of training us to be competitive for that. So, I think our main focus right now is training on the AVP and being a top five team and continually improving and working our way up to hopefully one day the Olympics as our main goal.

SUZANNE STONEBARGER:
Michelle and I both [have an] intense training off-season program we followed. We have 18 events this year on the AVP tour. You travel all over the west coast, east coast, Midwest, and there is four million dollars in the prize money. That pretty much sums up the tour and then you can read a little bit about it online, and some of the sponsors that are included. It’s the only pro-beach tour in the United States. It’s televised on Fox Sports and NBC. We train year round, and we train five, six days a week, up to six hours a day training. It includes practices on the beach, we work out, and we incorporate a nutritional plan. We’re just dedicating our lives to being our best at our sport.

THE STAR SCOOP:
As far as getting started playing volleyball, how did you get into it?

SUZANNE STONEBARGER:
I started playing when I was seven years old, and I played in high school and I played in college at the University of Nevada-Reno. Michelle and I both played in college. I was with the national team in Colorado Springs for a while and after I left Colorado Springs, that’s when I moved to the beach. Luckily, I’ve been able to pursue my dreams because of sponsorships. In the beginning, it’s challenging because of finances, but luckily Michelle and I both have been blessed with sponsors who have come into our lives.

MICHELLE MORE
I got started later playing volleyball than Suzanne. I started playing in high school, but I’ve been involved in sports all my life. I played soccer, softball, tee ball, a little tennis. I played basketball pretty competitively all my life. I didn’t start to get involved in volleyball until high school. Actually, the soft[ball] coach, because I was really tall and I played basketball, he asked me to come try out. I fell in love with the game in high school, and then I started playing club volleyball, and that earned me a scholarship to the University of Nevada where I met Suzanne. I played four years there as well with Suzanne. We went to AVP events and saw the girls playing there, and thought, oh, we could go compete. So then we just started to pursue it a little bit.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Volleyball is becoming more and more popular. Why?

SUZANNE STONEBARGER:
I think its TV time. The Olympics, it was always aired during primetime, and having our tournaments televised, all of our finals televised on Fox Sports, some of them on NBC…I think that’s one of the reasons why people are starting to become more educated on this sport. Before, I think few people knew about the sport, and once people come out to the beach, they’re sold on the sport. It’s just us getting people to the beach, that’s a great relaxed atmosphere.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Why should be people tune in to watch volleyball?

MICHELLE MORE
Not only should they tune in, but we’re going all over the country playing, so hopefully, they’ll be able to come watch a live event. I think the coolest thing about beach volleyball is, if you go to an NBA game or an NFL game, you don’t get to see the players up close, and actually get to go up to them and get autographs. But, at an AVP event, you’re on the beach or a beach-like setting, and you can be right alongside. I think it’s really personable, being so close to the court, that it makes our sport so different, so much more attainable.

THE STAR SCOOP:
When you’re actually playing, and you’re in the middle of the competition, what’s going through your head?

SUZANNE STONEBARGER:
Gosh, that’s a hard question. I mean, you try to think all positive thoughts, very confident about every aspect of the game…that you can win every match.

THE STAR SCOOP:
When a game is over, it’s really important to be good winners, but also what do you do when you lose?

MICHELLE MORE
I just think it’s important to learn from every loss. Suzanne and I have played together for three years, and we’re just getting to the point where we’re not rookies anymore, and our experience is starting to kick in so I think if you learn from all your losses, and I mean, you have to be a good sport. I think just the basic thing is to learn from every loss, to take that into account to make you work harder to not lose the next [time].

THE STAR SCOOP:
Is height a really important factor in volleyball? What can people without the height advantage do??

MICHELLE MORE
Well, I think if you just focus on the fundamental skills of volleyball, like, there are a lot of players out there that aren’t that tall but they have such good ball control skills, such as passing and setting and being quick on the floor that it doesn’t matter that they’re not that tall. So, I think just working on your skills, your passing, your setting and just learning all the fundamentals, that’s all called ball control skills. If you’re really good at those, then height’s not such a factor because you can put the ball pretty much wherever you want to put it without being really tall.

THE STAR SCOOP:
As you’ve won more tournaments, have you noticed a change in your fan base and who recognizes you?

MICHELLE MORE
Yeah, definitely. We’re really involved in the volleyball community. We’re really involved with our sponsors. Fiji is going to be putting on an exhibition match in Fiji. Our fans can sign up on Fiji’s website, and they’re going to pick a few people to come out and play with us, and we’re going to teach them how to play volleyball in Fiji. We also coach on; it’s called Volleyball Vacations (volleyballvacations.com). It’s basically where people from all over the country sign up, and you lean how to play beach volleyball and play with the pros. Not only has the sport [gotten] bigger, but being involved with such good sponsors, I think that’s really getting our name out there as well.

THE STAR SCOOP:
When you’re done doing the competitive aspect of it, will volleyball still be part of your life in the future?

MICHELLE MORE
Definitely. Both Suzanne and I really love the sport. It has had such a positive influence on our life. I think it’s so important that we give back to the sport. I think we’ll constantly be involved, whether it’s just going and watching the events, or hopefully one day teaching our kids how to play, or coaching, or whatnot. I think just having sports in your life as a kid and as you grow up is such a positive influence.

THE STAR SCOOP:
Michelle More notes, “Sponsors are such a huge part of making our sport succeed. So, we just really want to thank our sponsors.” So, be sure to check out Suzanne and Michelle’s sponsors: Ocean Pacific at www.op.com, Jose Cuervo Tequila at www.cuervo.com, Fiji Water at www.fijiwater.com. Also, if you want to see Suzanne and Michelle in action, they’re playing in Huntington Beach California, May 4-6. For more information, visit www.avp.com