The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is rolling through the United States this week and making its first-ever stop in Cincinnati from May 17-21. Of course, that begs the question: Cincy has a beach? No, but it does have a fine tennis facility that can be filled with sand.

Here are eight things you need to know about the FIVB Cincinnati Open:

1. It's an international event run by the AVP. While this tournament is officially on the FIVB World Tour, it's being run by the American domestic tour, the AVP. So the tournament's lengthy, official name is the FIVB Cincinnati Open, presented by the Association of Volleyball Professionals. The finals will be live on NBC Sports Network this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.

2. The U.S. should do well. This tourney won't be stacked with the world's best teams. Open events don't offer as much prize money as grand slams, and Cincinnati is the last event before six grand slams lead right into the Olympics. Thus, traveling to the U.S. for a smaller tournament doesn't make sense for a lot of teams. But all the top U.S. duos will be present, and they're favored to win.

3. It's an Olympic qualifying event. Regardless of prize money, this event counts toward Olympic qualification. Winning teams will receive 500 points, which can make a significant impact on the provisional Olympic rankings.

4. Watch the battle between the top three U.S. men's teams. Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson will be the No. 1 seed in the men's tournament, followed by Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena at No. 2, and John Hyden and Tri Bourne at No. 4. Those are the three U.S. men's teams fighting for two Olympic berths. Gibb and Patterson lead Dalhausser and Lucena by 100 points, and Dalhausser and Lucena lead Hyden and Bourne by 350 points. Among those duos, Dalhausser and Lucena are playing the best this year.

5. The best U.S. women's team is rounding into form. Kerri Walsh Jennings battled shoulder injuries for much of last season, but she's bounced back this year. Not surprisingly, she and partner April Ross are now the hottest team in the world. They played four FIVB events this season, winning two and taking second and third in the other two. By playing in Cincinnati, Walsh Jennings and Ross will officially become eligible for the Olympics, as it will mark their 12th qualifying event (the minimum needed).

6. There's a battle for the second U.S. women's berth. The first U.S. women's Olympic spot may be locked in, but a battle wages between Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat and Jen Kessy and Emily Day. Both duos have played the minimum number of events, so it's down to a fight for points. Fendrick and Sweat lead Kessy and Day by 430 points with three events left before the June 12 deadline.

7. Other teams present will be in the Olympics. Although it won't feature the toughest of fields, this event will have more than just Americans on their way to the Rio Games. Canada's Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton and Mexico's Lombaro Ontiveros and Juan Virgen have firm grips on men's Olympic berths, as do Canada's Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley, Jamie Lynn Broder and Kristina Valjas, and Spain's Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo on the women's side.

8. Our favorite Kiwi is back in action. Jason Lochhead, who played on the AVP tour in 2014 and 2015, will represent his home country of New Zealand on the international tour for the first time since 2012. The 32-year-old also coaches Vanuatu's Linline Matauatu and Pata Miller and Canada's Ben Saxton and Chaim Schalk. The 5'10" defensive dynamo is known affectionately as the "Ginga Ninja," and is a blast to watch.

By Jon Ackerman