The first event of the 2017 FIVB beach volleyball season, the Fort Lauderdale Major, kicks off on Tuesday, February 7. Thirteen U.S. teams will be competing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but the excitement doesn't stop there. Here are five key things you need to know before tuning in.

1. Adrian Carambula still can't play in the U.S.

Carambula, who represented Italy in the Rio Olympics, was born in Uruguay but grew up in the U.S. In his late teens, he unknowingly spent a year living in the States without a visa, and as such, he has not been allowed to return since he left to pursue a spot on the Italian national beach roster in 2015. He had hoped to resolve the issue in time to play the Fort Lauderdale Major, but last week, he was replaced by Marco Caminati on the entries list.

[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BO2TNhrAKl2/?taken-by=adrian_carambula" hide_caption="0"]

2. Olympic gold medalist Laura Ludwig out with injury.

Laura Ludwig had surgery in December to fix a nagging shoulder injury. Since she's not ready to return to competition yet, her partner Kira Walkenhorst will team up with Julia Grossner, who plans to play the rest of 2017 with 21-year-old Nadja Glenzke. Grossner said of the pairing with Walkenhorst, "From my point of view, if Kira and I can obtain a good result in Fort Lauderdale then the better the chances are for myself and Nadja to qualify for tournaments together. It's a win-win situation for us."

3. Brazilian legend Ricardo back in action.

Ricardo Santos played 100 FIVB tournaments alongside fellow legend Emanuel Rego. While Rego retired last year, Ricardo is still going. As the wildcard team in Fort Lauderdale, he and partner Harley Marques Silva received the No. 24 seed in the main draw. As the new beach director at the Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy, Ricardo will be competing in his new home state.

4. Marta Menegatti and Becky Perry kicking off a new era.

With her intended partner Viktoria Orsi Toth banned from competing in Rio after a failed drug test, Marta Menegatti didn't have the Olympic experience she had hoped for in Rio. First, the Italian federation tried to send Rebecca Perry, a former University of Washington player, in her place, but Perry didn't have enough FIVB tournaments under her belt to be eligible, so Menegatti played with Laura Giombini. Perry and Menegatti will now start their new partnership in earnest at the Fort Lauderdale Major.

[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQBPs7CgSfE/?taken-by=becky_perry" hide_caption="0"]

5. Olympic silver medalists split.

Barbara Seixas De Freitas and Agatha Bednarczuk put on an epic show at the Rio Olympics. They handed Kerri Walsh Jennings her first-ever Olympic loss in the semifinals, taking down Jennings and April Ross in straight sets to move on to the gold-medal match. The silver medalist duo decided not to play together again in 2017, and instead Barbara will team up with Fernanda Alves. The pair will have to fight their way through the qualifier rounds in the first FIVB tournament of the year. Agatha's new partner is Eduarda Santos Lisboa, an 18-year-old rising star.

[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BP-TGBNBFy5/?taken-by=babifseixas" hide_caption="0"]