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The 2016/17 season saw Zeb step up week in week out, making AA semi-finals on a regular basis. But he couldn’t quite take that ‘final’ step. Two events into the new season, and Zeb has already broken through, winning AA and opening the door into AAA; the highest level in the state.

Undefeated through the pool rounds, Zeb and Mitch were pushed in a tight quarter final, finally overcoming VBVA ‘Warriors’ Octavi and Rudi in three sets (18-10, 18-20, 15-10). That win secured their spot in the semi-finals against Ben Abbott and Jono Cannon. As closely contested as the quarter, Zeb and Mitch somehow scraped through in another three set match (18-16, 12-18, 15-9).

Their opponents for the AA final – Dakota Lipton and German Jo Schaufler – had made their way through to the final with a semi win over VBVA beast Blake and some random old guy he’d drafted in last minute, to replace regular partner Nick.

As with the quarter and semi-finals, Zeb and Mitch had to battle it out over three sets to prevail, albeit comfortably taking out the last set 15-8.

That win, documented in image form by not a single parent watching, means Zeb follows Blake and Nick into the AAA division.

Congrats Zeb and Mitch.

The new 2017/18 season is almost here! We were forced to endure an entire winter with only one cancelled session due to inclement weather. If that luck runs through October to March it’ll be a fantastic beach season.

Tournaments start in October, along with midweek training in warm dusk sunlight. Below you’ll find the summer schedule as well as the spring holiday training camp times.

MENTOR game play will be back for the T1/elite group players from the 30th September.

Please note a switch in midweek training times for T1 and T2 groups.

SUMMER SCHEDULE

TUESDAY

(commencing 26th September)

4:30PM – 6PM | Tier 1/elite group – court 5

THURSDAY

(commencing 28th September)

4:30PM – 6PM | TIER 2 – court 5

4:30PM – 6PM | TIER 1/elite group (game play) – court 6

SATURDAY

(commencing 30th September)

8AM – 9:30AM | TIER 1 guys – court 6

8AM – 9:30AM | MENTOR game play | Tier 1 girls – court 7

9:30AM – 11AM | TIER 1 girls – court 6

9:30AM – 11AM | MENTOR game play | Tier 1 guys – court 7

11AM – 12:30PM | TIER 2 boys – court 6

11AM – 12:30PM | TIER 3 boys and girls – court 7

SPRING TRAINING CAMPS

WEDNESDAY 27th September & WEDNESDAY 4th October  2017* – $20pp – 3.5 hours – across two courts

8:30AM – 9:15AM | combined (Tier 1 and Tier 2 and 3) fitness drills
9:15AM – 10AM | Tier 1 – intense skills training | Tier 2/3 – game drills
10AM – 10:45AM | Tier 2/3 – intense skills training | Tier 1 – game drills
10:45AM – 12Midday | combined ‘kings/queens’ across two courts, with a relegation/promotion between courts.

*The holiday camp will require a minimum 8 peeps to go ahead. Please let me know ASAP if you plan to attend.

Each year Vic Beach Volleyball Academy takes a crew of its best players up from Melbourne, to Sydney’s iconic northern beaches.

From sand dune runs at Palm beach, to court drills at Newport beach; from water training at Collaroy beach rock pool to technique analysis on Manly beach… gnocchi, FIFA, beach, sushi train, pizza, beach, beach, beach… and B-grade cult-volley flick SIDE OUT on a big screen!

Here are a few videos and below a link to an image gallery.

VBVA 2017 SYDNEY CAMP In 4 minutes

[youtube id=”NH1-1nS1E_w” width=”620″ height=”360″]

VBVA 2017 SYDNEY CAMP Newport Beach Classic

[youtube id=”IYIG4VJIJbk” width=”620″ height=”360″]

And here is a link to the image gallery

Crew:
Nick, Eliza, Lucia, Laura, Linus, Blake, Ella, Annie, Joey, Evie

Coaches:
Bam, Clinton

With special thanks to:
Carl, Roger, NBVA, YHA Sydney Beachouse and a shout out to Sydney based VBVA crew Jett and Matt. Also a big thanks to Jason Busch Photography for the cover image to this story.

VBVA is supported by Beachcomber Cafe, Vic Beach and MBVA

Music created at BNGTCO studios, St Kilda

vbva.com.au

A large VBVA crew may have been in Sydney over the Labor Day long weekend, but there were still a number of academy players on show at round 9 of the Vic Beach Tour held on South Melbourne beach.

They came back from a defeat in the pool rounds against tour veterans Longley/Pocock, to beat the same opposition in the final.

Among them was AA winner Alba, playing alongside 2017 Australian U17s representative Nicola. They came back from a defeat in the pool rounds against tour veterans Longley/Pocock, to beat the same opposition in the final.

A fantastic achievement that was matched in the ‘A’ division by VBVA ‘warrior’ Nicole – step/mum to a whole bunch of VBVA T3 representatives. Nicole was partnered by former VBVA player Dee Tomic.

In the other divisions, Zeb and partner Mitch were knocked out in the AA quarters by eventual winners, the Hope brothers; and 12yo T2 prodigy Will won his first game… against twin brother Sam in the B men’s division.

Fantastic effort all-round crew!

Vic Beach Volleyball Academy (VBVA) officially launched a ‘Mentor Program’ over the weekend (28^th Jan), introducing its top academy prospects to competitive game-play with and against some of the best former and current players in Victoria.

Tier 1 VBVA players Laura, Lucia and Zeb at the 2017 SA Open in Adelaide.

“Whether it’s as competitive, court-smart opposition, or helping put the positional awareness the kids learn in training, into a game situation… even just an older, wiser voice of calm.”

The VBVA Mentor Program – the first of its kind in the country – was created in order to give the best young players within its academy an opportunity to put the skills, technique and court awareness learned in training into practice beside players who have the experience to help them hone those skills. From former International players Cathy Norman (AUS), Oliver Cole (AUS) and Shawna Farquharson (ENG), to current internationals like Yupa Phokongploy (THA); along with a host of past and present national tour players, and wily old locals.

“The program is aimed at giving our best young kids the opportunity to learn from current and past greats of the game,” said VBVA Head Coach Brett Middlin. “Whether it’s as competitive, court-smart opposition, or helping put the positional awareness the kids learn in training, into a game situation… even just an older, wiser voice of calm. These kids are like sponges; super keen, fantastically appreciative sponges and they’ll soak up any suggestions their mentors can offer.

All of the kids who will be invited to train with the mentors have already dipped their feet in open age national tour events, and are pushing the best players locally. They just don’t yet have the ‘smarts’ to beat their older opponents, but with this initiative, they’ll be in a far stronger position to compete; especially considering the depth of court intelligence that comes from international players like Cathy (Norman), Oli (Cole), Shawna (Farquharson) and Yupa (Phokongploy). Throw in the likes of Marta (Slawuta), Sandy (Hope), Danny (Bishop), Linda (Hamilton), Eric (Gelt), Steve (Kay), George (Atrache), Josh (Lawes), Cori (Wilder) and Bleachy (Shane Ralston) and others, and you’ve got a huge amount to offer the best kids coming through.”

The official launch gave VBVA Tier 1 players Alba Skellern and Lucia La Terra the opportunity to play alongside and against top past Victorian players Linda Hamilton and Sandy Hope.

“It was a fantastic opportunity,” said Lucia following the mentor session, “we don’t usually get to play against the best, unless we play on the national tour… this program will bring the top current and past players to us. We (alongside VBVA partner Laura Pangrazio) were fortunate enough to play in the SA Open national tour event against Yupa (and partner, Olympian Mariafe Artacho Del Solar) in January, and now we’ll have that option regularly… along with so many other awesome players!”

The VBVA hopes this new initiative will help give what is its strongest group of young players to date that little extra resilience when competing against the best players in the country.

VBVA has had a lot of positive results across the past few weeks, and another came its way over the weekend, with their Tier 1 tall boy Blake winning his first AA event alongside State U17s partner Mitch.

A little luck is never a bad thing throughout the course of a tournament; it all comes down to whether you can make use of that luck… Blake and Mitch had some luck, but they also made the most of it, as the cash prize they picked up can attest.

Photos by The legendary Grant Meyer

The first slice of luck came in the opening game of what was always going to be the hardest pool on paper with Victorian old guard – and still regular AA division winners – Paul Grimmett and Grant Meyer, fellow Vic U17s Shill/Rahmani, and regular AAA player Josh Lawes teaming up for the first time with VBVA Tier 1 freak Nick Taylor.

Blake and Mitch had the opportunity to play Josh and Nick in the first game of the pool, giving them an opposition still adjusting to each others’ style of play. A comfortable win ensured their eventual progress as pool winners, helped in part by the carnage Josh and Nick metered out once they got their bearings. The comfort of that first match for Blake and Mitch also meant Josh and Nick missed out on the quarters by way of a points count-back.

For Blake and his partner, the quarters represented their easiest result of the tournament, dispatching Hermann/Vasilei in two (18-14, 18-6). A result that brought them a meeting with another VBVA freak; Zeb, playing with State U17s partner Kyle. A recent, ongoing problem with cramps meant Zeb was forced to play at times on one leg, throughout a grueling 3-set semi. Zeb and Kyle were eventually taken out 15-8 in the third having won the previous set 18-7. More luck had been offered and accepted… everything seemed to be falling into place.

As it had throughout the day, a touch of luck would also play it’s part in assisting them in the final against regular AA division winner Steffen Liedtke and first time partner, former VBVA member Jeremy Meyn. A tough, but close first set saw Liedtke/Meyn win it 18-16, but cramping would again rear its head, this time with German player Liedtke. A run of tight 3-setters throughout the day – including a loss to Zeb and Kyle in the pool rounds – was just too much for Liedtke/Meyn who were easily overcome by Blake and Mitch in the second and third sets 18-3, 15-8.

A result that meant Blake and Mitch would finish as AA winners, and recipients of prize money and vouchers… an invitation to try their luck in a AAA event now awaits.

A 9^th place finish at a national tour event would be a fantastic result regardless of your age, but to do it at 15 years of age, with a partner only 6 months your senior, bodes well for the future. That is what Lucia and Laura managed at their first attempt; a 9^th place in an exceptionally tough SA Open.

The 2017 SA Open women’s division was stacked with talent; four Olympians, World tour representatives from Slovakia, Thailand and the Czech Republic; as well as the rest of the best female players in the country today.

“That first game was so much fun… and a little scary at the same time!”

Lucia and Laura had a fairly standard introduction to the highest level of competition in the country, playing their first game on a main court against two of the previously mentioned World Tour players; Michaela Vorlova (CZE) and Lucia Michalovicova (SVK). A comfortable victory for the Europeans was also a brilliant learning experience for the Victorian rookies.

“That first game was so much fun… and a little scary at the same time!” said a rather chuffed Lucia post-game, “we made them work for their win… not too hard, but we made them work.”

They went on to lose to Queensland pair Smith/Mills before comfortably dispatching South Australians’ Brand and Corvoda; a win that would ensure their progress into the round of 16… and a clash with Olympian – and role model to almost every VBVA junior – Mariafe Artacho Del Solar (M-fe) and partner, Thai World tour player Yupa Phokongploy.

An easy victory on paper was not at all in sync with the flow of the game, as M-fe and Yupa explained to the girls after the game, “M-fe took us aside and complimented our tenacity, and our solid defence. She told us we made them have to work more than at any point during the tournament up until then… and that she’d be keeping an eye on our progression. She is such a fantastic role model!” A delighted Lucia recalls.

Fellow VBVA crew travelers Lauren and Alba, and Nick and Zeb each picked up 17^th place finishes; fantastic results all round.