Logan Mister improves AVP ranking to 38 after AVP NEXT South Beach title

CNMI’s Logan Mister kicked off the beach volleyball sands of the 2026 AVP tour in style, winning the AVP NEXT South Beach Art Deco Open in Miami Beach, Florida, with partner Rowdy Lennon held from Jan. 10-11—and with the championship comes a new career milestone: a national AVP ranking of 38th.

The duo topped the men’s division, edging out Daniel Leathers and Chris Ludwig in two straight sets, 21-16, 21-14, with Mischa Freystaetter and Adam Hartmann rounding out the podium.

In the semis, Mister and Lennon dominated Freystaetter and Hartmann, 21-17, 21-14, and survived a close quarterfinals match, 21-19, 21-18, against Earl Schultz and Chris Saffer. Before that, it was a three-set wringer against Leathers and Ludwig, 20-22, 21-14, 16-14, setting the tone to eventually meet in the finals. In their second match, they disposed of Ben Grossman and Lane Turner in twin sets, 21-13, 21-13, and handled their first match of the tourney against Alex Diaz and Jacob Ray, 22-20, 19-21, 18-16.

With the title came the new AVP ranking—a huge step for Mister on the national scene. Rankings like this are based on tournament results, not just reputation, and it means he’ll get better seedings and fewer qualifier matches in future events.

Mister said he’s “beyond stoked” about his new ranking. “Ever since the day I started playing volleyball I always wanted to be on the AVP. I wanted to be like the pros that I watched on TV. And to be ranked in the top 50 of the United States is something that I’m beyond grateful for and almost can’t believe. It’s a huge achievement for me personally, I’ve worked so hard to be in the position I’m in.”

For Mister, winning this tournament was about more than just the title—it was a chance to represent the CNMI. “Coming from Saipan, I was gifted with a tight-knit community,” he said. “When I’m out there battling in the tournament I got the entire community supporting me, and that support and love gives me the upper hand against my opponents. I’m always grateful for all the support that has come my way through the Saipan community.”

In the finals, he stayed focused on playing his game and not even checking the score until the last point. After a 2025 season full of near-misses—six second-place finishes—finally winning felt like relief and proof that the offseason work paid off.

Mister said he and Lennon rely on trust and composure more than opponent-specific strategies, and their chemistry keeps improving. “Coming off the block I already know where the ball is going to be and what type of set Rowdy is hoping for. It just clicks.”

His next goal? Breaking into the Top 10 teams on the AVP. He’s focusing on training, lifting, diet, and sleep, planning to travel all over the U.S. to compete in every contender and heritage event.

“It means the world to me,” he said about representing NMI on the national stage. “I’m ecstatic to represent NMI, and look forward to every conversation I can have to share knowledge about the place I call home, whether it’s to my opponents or fans at the event. It’s definitely not the same as representing NMI at [the] Pacific Games, but it’s still something that I enjoy.”