On the beach volleyball tour

How can a Mormon fit in on the "big party" beach volleyball circuit?

Quite well, if you're LDS rising star Casey Patterson.

He says that beach volleyball promoters, advertisers and maybe some fans like to sell that party image, but in reality it's not that way.

"About 40 percent of the players have young babies," Patterson said, "and we get together and talk about our families." In actuality, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Tour is overall "a health-conscious environment," and he has observed minimal smoking and drinking.

"There is a handful," he said about those who party, but "they are those who really don't care" about the sport.

Consequently, those are not the ones who excel and they are not highly ranked.

Patterson began playing on the AVP Tour in 2007 and was ranked 83rd. In his first full year, 2008, he ended up 40th in the rankings. By the end of 2009, he had climbed to 15th.

This year, Patterson and his partner, Kevin Wong, took third place at Huntington Beach and fifth place at Virginia Beach. He has moved into the top 10, now ranked ninth. As a team, he and Wong are currently ranked fifth. (The AVP only plays team competition, but a points ranking system calculates individual rankings as well as team rankings.)

Volleyball is not as lucrative as many other sports, so in order to make a living at it, a player needs to be near the top 10 level. That is exactly what Patterson plans to do.

Patterson, who just turned 30, is a relative newcomer to the sport.

"Your prime starts between 30 to 35," he said. He explains that playing in sand does not take a toll on your body as much as other hard-surface sports, adding that Karch Kiraly, the most widely known and best player, played until he was 48.

Patterson says opportunities abound to talk about the church.

A partner once said to him: "I don't drink because of sports. How come you don't drink?" Patterson says that is how he works into a discussion about the church.

When playing on the road, Patterson says rooming with his various partners reminds him of missionary companionships. He served a mission to Little Rock, Ark.