USA Volleyball Puget Sound Region, the City of Gig Harbor, Penmet Parks and Gig Harbor Volleyball Club have partnered to host the Gig Harbor Grass Classic Volleyball Tournament August 3&4 at Sehmel Park in Gig Harbor.  The event is part of the 2013 Volleyball Mecca Puget Sound Grass Points Championship and will feature divisions for adults and juniors.

“Gig Harbor is such a great place to visit and we are excited to showcase our community to the athletes and spectators during the first annual Gig Harbor Grass Classic.  Our hotels, restaurants, shops and residents look forward to welcoming everyone in August,”  said Laureen Lund, Marketing Director for the City of Gig Harbor.  

"Beach volleyball is growing extremely fast and we're happy to be working in Gig Harbor to help introduce more players to the game," said tournament coordinator, Mati Bishop.  "These events are a great way for athletes to give beach volleyball a try and for most of them once they get a taste of playing outdoors, they are hooked," he continued. Saturday August 3rd will feature advanced and novice divisions for both men and women.

Source: soundbeachvolleyball.blogspot

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Sinjin Smith is one of the greatest volleyball players to ever play the game. He has won more beach volleyball tournaments (139 AVP and FIVB wins) during his beach volleyball carrer than any other player besides Karch Kiraly. In addition to his beach volleyball success Sinjin won two NCAA Championships and was named MVP his senior year. Sinjin is also in the Volleyball Hall of Fame!

Sinjin Smith and Randy Stocklos
In this video Sinjin shares important tips for having success in beach volleyball verses indoor volleyball.
Pass the ball in front of you in beach volleyball Perhaps the most important difference in beach volleyball verses indoor volleyball is the location of the pass. In indoor volleyball you want to always pass to a specific area on the court, known indoor as area 2 / 3. The zone between area two and area three. Beach is different in that you want to pass the ball in front of you close to the net! Why?

It is easier to approach a ball when the pass is in front of you. It is easier for the setter to set an ideal set when you lead them and pass the ball in front of you. In beach volleyball the best set to hit is an up and down set and when you pass the ball in front of you it is easiest to do this. Approaching on a ball that is in front of you and set up and down gives you the most choices of shots. Approaching on a ball that is in front of you and set up and down gives you the best and longest look at how the defense is set up.

In concluding, always try and pass the ball forward and in front of your hitting approach. Also make sure you check out all of Sinjin’s 10 Free Videos Sponsored by Honu Volleyball Sandals. Honu is the only sandal mad for volleyball players that supports volleyball players. See why they are the most comfortable sandal on the market and the choice sandal of athletes like Phil Dalhausser and Sinjin Smith.

Source: sports24newslive.blogspot

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Xue Chen (3rd, R) and Zhang Xi (3rd, L) of China, Liliana Fernandez Steiner (1st, L) and Elsa Baquerizo McMilan (2nd, L) of Spain, Katrin Holtwick (2nd, R)and Ilka Semmler of Germany celebrate during the awarding ceremony for the women's event of the Fuzhou Open, the beginning of the 2013 beach volleyball season, in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian province, April 28, 2013. Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China won the final 2-0 to claim the title of the event. Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo McMilan of Spain won the second place. Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler of Germany took the third place.[Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan]

Xue Chen(R) and Zhang Xi of China celebrate during the awarding ceremony for the women's event of the Fuzhou Open, the beginning of the 2013 beach volleyball season, in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian province, April 28, 2013. Xue Chen and Zhang Xi of China won the final 2-0 to claim the title of the event.[Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan]

Silver-medal-winners Liliana Fernandez Steiner (L) and Elsa Baquerizo McMilan of Spain celebrate during the awarding ceremony for the women's event of the Fuzhou Open, the beginning of the 2013 beach volleyball season, in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian province, April 28, 2013.[Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan]

Bronze-medal-winners Katrin Holtwick (L) and Ilka Semmler of Germany celebrate during the awarding ceremony for the women's event of the Fuzhou Open, the beginning of the 2013 beach volleyball season, in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian province, April 28, 2013. [Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan]

Source: womenofchina

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After the success of beach volleyball at the London 2012 Olympics, the British public are being given the chance to try it for themselves. The sport was one of the highlights of the Games as crowds flocked to the Horse Guards Parade last summer. And Team GB star Zara Dampney is hoping a new initiative can encourage more people to take the fast-paced, action-packed discipline.

The Go Spike Big Weekend, which runs from May 25-27, offers the chance to take part in beach, indoor, outdoor and sitting volleyball at various venues across England. 'I’m incredibly excited about the Go Spike Big Weekend and think it will be a fantastic showcase of everything volleyball has to offer,' Dampney said. 'Everyone from kids to retired people should experience the enjoyment and the health benefits of volleyball. 'People don’t realise just how accessible volleyball is – there are facilities for all versions of the sport right across the country, and I hope that once people give it a go they will join up and make volleyball a regular part of their lives and enjoy it just as much as I do.'

Source: dailymail

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Zara Dampney is set to embark on what could be the most eventful three years of her life. The 26-year-old model and law graduate from Dorset has her mind and body focused on Rio de Janeiro 2016. However, there are changes afoot. Dampney has recently recruited a new coach, Kirk Pitman, an ex-professional beach volleyball player. The significance is, Pitman is also her fiancé. Surely this adds a whole new meaning to the term courtship.

‘We’re working well together, it’s amazing,’ Dampney explained. ‘Difficulties do come when one or both of us are tired, though.’ This is a combination rarely seen in the world of sport and a big decision for the ambitious couple. Refreshingly, Dampney remains excited and optimistic at the prospect. ‘We have a very good relationship and talk freely about things and we’re both honest and have the same understanding,’ she adds.

Now, as the crucial four years of preparation approaches, plans for an upcoming wedding mixed with the professional side of their relationship is all part of their new adventure. ‘We’re finding it quite hard at the moment, probably because it’s right at the start where we’re having to organise a lot of things,’ Dampney said. There are other challenges ahead too; Dampney’s former team-mate and good friend Shauna Mullin decided to retire from international volleyball, which gave the opportunity for Lucy Boulton to step in.

‘Lucy and I talked about it beforehand,’ explained Dampney. ‘There was another option, a Greek coach, but we feel like we’ve made the right choice.’Pitman, a 31-year-old from Tauranga in New Zealand, was a successful Olympic beach volleyball player himself.

Although having taken the reins of New Zealand Under-21s, this will be Pitman’s debut in charge at the top, and Dampney has abundant faith in her future husband. ‘This is Kirk’s first senior job, I feel he can really help us and is very talented. He has played at such a high level; both Lucy and I really respect him,’ she continues. So what about the old phrase “two’s company”?  Playing partner Boulton has her own thoughts on this.

Things have started really positively for the three of us and they’re a great couple. I’m really benefiting from Kirk’s ten plus years of playing,’ she maintains. Whether or not the Rio carnival spirit fills the UK camp in 2016, arrangements for big celebrations this year are already under way, as the couple look forward to their wedding day.

‘Preparations are going very well, I’m really enjoying having this as a separate focus, it’s my little project at the moment,’ Dampney added. Her next three years are destined to be filled with a variety of emotions and significant events that will stay with her for the rest of her life. Zara the person, the gracious and confident individual off the field, will hopefully have a wonder-filled time embarking on a journey with more longevity and satisfaction than any volleyball tournament, the journey of a happy, fulfilled marriage.

Source: metro

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The National Sports Commission has said that beach volleyball would be included in the events for the 19th National Sports Festival in Calabar, Cross River State in 2014. The Commission’s Assistant Director of Elite Athletes Development, Igbinosa Emmanuel, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on Monday in Abuja. He said the decision was due to the success of the sport since its inception in the country.

“We discovered that it is an area that Nigeria can do well as we are doing in beach football. And I am assuring you that it will be recognised as a scoring event at the next sports festival because it was at the last Games, tagged “Eko 2012″ in Lagos. “But what happened then was that there was a mix up in the zonal eliminations and they came in a little bit late. The sport has been doing well locally, nationally and internationally and this will be an encouragement for them to do more,” he said.

Mr. Igbinosa noted the sport was also at the last 10th All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique and both the male and female teams came fifth and eight, respectively. “They should be given the necessary support because we want them to do better than they have done,” he said.

He quoted the Director-General of the Sports Commission, Patrick Ekeji, as saying that the commission was committed to promoting the sport both at the grassroots and the national level. “Due to the success the sport has recorded over time, we are committed to promoting it because of its potential. We will be doing this for two purposes because beach volleyball is both a recreational and competitive sport. So, we are pledging our support to the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) for the growth of the sport,” he said.
The second edition of the Samsung Electronics Male and Female Beach Volleyball Championships held from March 29 to 31 in Abuja. The three-day championships started off with 12 of the 20 teams expected at the competition with Ondo and Delta teams winning the male and female categories respectively.

Source: premiumtimesng

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Chairman beach volleyball committee of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVF), Engr Musa Nimrod is confident that Team Nigeria will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games’ men and women beach volleyball events.

Nigeria narrowly missed out qualification for beach volleyball event of the 2012 London Olympic Games, but Nimrod is of the belief that the rate at which the sport is gradually growing in Nigeria, qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympics would help project the sport to Nigerians. “Beach volleyball is growing very fast in Nigeria, and we should now aspire to the next level, which is to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“We are the only country in Africa that is consistently producing under-age teams. Also in ranking we are number two in Africa and we have teams in the U-19 and 21 categories, and this was why we qualified last year for the World Youth Championship in Cyprus and the World Junior Championship in Canada,’’ he said. He noted that the impressive performance of Nigeria’s beach volleyball team at the last African championship in Mauritius is an indication that the nation is making steady progress in beach volleyball.

Source: leadership

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COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -The University of South Carolina Athletics Department announced Thursday it will add sand volleyball as its 21st intercollegiate sport for the 2013-14 academic year. "The addition of sand volleyball gives us the ability to add more opportunities for women to participate in intercollegiate athletics," said Director of Athletics Ray Tanner.

With the addition of sand volleyball, the South Carolina Board of Trustees at its meeting Thursday, approved the construction of a playing facility that would be located in the Athletic Village near the new Carolina Tennis Facility, Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field and the soccer practice fields.

The facility would be completed by the start of competition in spring 2014. Moritz Moritz will serve as the first head coach of the Gamecocks' sand volleyball program, after spending the past two years as an assistant coach on the Gamecocks' indoor volleyball team. Moritz will leave the indoor team to concentrate solely on starting this new program.

"I'm very grateful for the chance to begin this new chapter in Gamecock athletics," said Moritz. "While it's tough to leave behind Scott (Swanson) and the indoor team, I'm excited to get this new sand volleyball team off the ground."Sand volleyball is the 12th female sport to be added by South Carolina to go with nine men's teams sponsored by the school. The Gamecocks are the first Southeastern Conference school to add the sport and the 31st nationally.

Source: wistv

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Laguna Blanca will join a short list of schools in the US that have come onboard to support the growth of Sand Volleyball at the high school level, and will become the first high school north of Westlake, CA to field a team.

Laguna’s Indoor Volleyball teams have earned numerous championships and awards in recent years, and with a commitment and passion for this sport, the School is expanding their sports program to allow more opportunity for their student athletes.

The Girls’ Volleyball team alone has won 11 consecutive Condor League Championships, and has participated in 6 CIF Finals, winning the CIF Championship in 2006. This new sand sport will serve as great conditioning and a cross trainer for indoor volleyball and will improve the student athletes’ all around skills. This is also an opportunity to play a game that is now a competitive college sport. As an emerging NCAA sport, colleges are now offering the opportunity to play Sand Volleyball for their schools. Currently, there are 22 schools in the nation that field a team, with new schools adding the sport each season. “Sand Volleyball gives Laguna students another option for a spring sport,” says Athletics Director Mike Biermann. “For our many incredible volleyball student athletes, this new club will give them a great conditioning and learning opportunity. And with colleges starting up their own Sand Volleyball programs, we want to make sure our girls are ready for that challenge.”

The Laguna Blanca Sand Volleyball team will play in five tournaments in Santa Monica or El Segundo as part of the AAU Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League (IBVL). Their practices will take place at Santa Barbara’s East Beach – not all Sand Volleyball teams in the country are as lucky to have beaches, hence the “Sand Volleyball” title. Dillan Bennett is the Head Coach, assisted by Julia Chamberlain. They currently have a full roster of 12 girls signed up and ready for practice to begin on February 12.

The Spring 2013 Laguna Blanca Sand Volleyball Team lineup includes:

- Clara Madsen

- Phoebe Madsen

- Bella Taron

- Courtney O’Donnell

- Jessie Dusebout

- Grace Copeland

- Chloe Richman

- Maddie Bonser

- Bryn Jewett

- Hannah White

- Grace Woolf

- MacKenna Connor

Source: independent

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LOCAL beach volleyball players got into action over the weekend when they took part in the newly-introduced series at Highfield community Hall with the top seeds Nyashadzashe Takawira and his partner Rufaro Choto winning all their matches.

In their first match on Saturday, Takawira and Choto beat the pair of Batsirai Mawire and Simbarashe Chidziwa 2-0 before beating Charles Dotito and Trymore Nyakwanga with the same score.

They went on to beat Conrad Kupara and Nigel Sibangani 2-0. Takawira said they were happy with their performance as they collected maximum points in all matches.

"My partner was an inspiration and we played well. All the teams were taking the matches seriously and I can say our good combination with Choto worked out well.

"I think if they put in more effort they will improve because some of the teams were taking part in beach volleyball for the first time," said Takawira.

Takawira, who is a national team player, said the competition in the series was a bit high and will play a vital role in improving the standard of the game.

"The series is much better in terms of competition than in tournaments. We did not play more often in Zimbabwe so this series will definitely help improve the standard of play. We are not going to stop training and I think our experience helped us win," said Takawira,

In the women's section, it was a tough weekend for some of the country"s top players but quick to take the lead was the pair of Felistus Chakabveyo and Media Mafuta who topped the log table when they won three out the four matches they played.

They lost their opening match to veteran player Viola Muchaoona and Constance Masiyiwa 0-2 before recovering in the second match when they dismissed Amanda Ntukula and Chenai Sizilani 2-0.

Chakabveyo and Mafuta also dismissed Tsungiriro Shumba and Melody Mhunga 2-0. In their last match they prevailed over Persuade Gwaba and Vuyiswa Dhlomo 2-1 in a match that had to be decided in the third set after the latter won the first set. Chakabveyo said there was still room for the pair to improve and they will continue working hard as a team.

"We played well and competition was stiff but I still need to work on one or two things. I need to practice and spend more time with my partner. "The turnout was good, there was a team from Bulawayo," Chakabveyo said.

Muchaoona and Masiyiwa finished fourth having won two of the four games they played. Beach volleyball commissioner, Robert Njerere, who partnered Kudakwashe Chizema in the weekend's matches, said the series looked promising with young players taking part.

Njerere and Chizema beat the pair of Lucian Dzapasi and Richard Chidza from Kwekwe 2-0. "It was quite tough and very competitive and we are very happy. The boys from Kwekwe did well, they actually played well considering that it was their first time playing on sand. "They are still young and it's promising for us because we have people we look up to for the future," said Njerere.

Source: allafrica

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