The first round of the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour got underway in Cobram, on the NSW-Victorian border, across the weekend, and there were some memorable results.
Due to excessive rain in the lead-up to the event; dam overflow meant less beach… which, in turn ensured less courts. The result saw a group of teams cut off from competing. Among those, the brothers’ Kay, Lindsay, Klaas and some of our other boys, playing alongside older competitors.
With no current VBVA boys competing, it was down to the girls.
Lucia and Evie, on the back of a bundle of fantastic results in 20/21, had the points to get them directly into the ABVT Elite division. They grabbed a creditable 9th place, with a win between a pair of losses. Given the losses were to the teams who contested the bronze medal play-off – Milutinovic/K Mears (QLD) and Burton/Strati (WA/QLD) – suggests they had an extremely hard draw. A great result for Lucia and Evie, in their first Division 1 outing together.
Our other pairs failed to qualify for the top division, so competed in the Challenger event. For all of them, it was their first open age national event.
Both Talia and her partner, and Sammy and Cat had almost the exact same run of results, in both finishing equal 5th. Both pairs lost their initial games with almost identical set scores, before pushing through with wins in their second rounds… both three set, closely fought matches. For Sammy and Cat, it was a win over fellow training crew Warriors Anina and Sara.
Those wins ensured the two teams an opportunity to compete for a semi-final place. Unfortunately for Talia and her partner, they lost in two sets (21-19, 21-7) to eventual division winners, South Australia’s Jones/Matchett.
For Sammy and Cat, it was a loss to silver medalists Piovesan/Smart in a tight three set battle (19-21, 22-20,13-15).
Anina and Sara finished in 9th.
Well done girls… bring on the Vic Open!
