Volleyball England Beach Tour Finals

Volleyball England Beach Tour Finals were the ultimate finale to the most successful Beach Volleyball season to date.

The top sixteen men's and women's teams from the Beach Tour were invited to Boscombe Beach, Bournemouth to fight for the title of VEBT Champions.

The This showcase event brought in spectators from all corners of the country and beyond, with 3 packed grandstands and crowds on the promenade vying for space to get a peak of this spectacular display of the UK's finest beach volleyball players.

Saturday the 27th of August was the opening day and with the weather forecast looking grim the players took their places on court with gritted teeth, only to be pleasantly surprised that the forecast was far from correct as the sun burst through the clouds and temperatures soared. The bikinis and shorts came out and the competition was well underway.

The double elimination format, under which teams get a second chance after losing a match, gave the spectators some great three-set matches with great athleticism on display as teams fought point for point to make it through to the quarterfinals.

Sunday the 28th of August once again proved the weather forecast wrong with glorious weather, which lasted until about midday when the �liquid sunshine� broke out and brought showers upon Boscombe Beach. However, rain does not stop play in beach volleyball and the hardened players battled on.

The women's semifinals got underway with Eva Czinegeova and Anna Dyakiewicz taking on Gabi Medricka and Laura Plonka. It was a tight 1st set with Gabi and Laura having to work hard around the sand, to eventually come back from behind and close out the set at 23-21. By the 2nd set Gabi and Laura had stepped up a gear and taken control of the match to win the set 21-16 and confirm their place in the final with a 2-0 (23-21, 21-16) victory.

Mel Coutts and Denise Austin faced Helen Brown and Kerri Olding in the 2nd semifinal; and what a semifinal this was! Helen and Kerri showed their athleticism and ability to quickly cover the court and in doing so took the 1st set 21-19. Denise and Mel�s experience then shone through as the clever tactical play led them to a 21-17 win in the 2nd set, thus taking the game to a nail-biting 3rd in which Denise and Mel's clever play and perseverance won them the decider by 15-9, to close out a great 2-1 (19-21, 21-17, 15-9) victory.

In the men's semifinals, Phil Smith and Russell Watson came head to head with Tom Lord and Robin Miedzybrodzki.  In an exciting 1st set, both teams were point for point from the start to the finish, with both teams siding out very efficiently and determined to reach victory. Tom and Robin's endurance and some excellent transition play finally gave them the set at 31-29. With their adrenaline pumping, they now had the edge that they needed to comfortably take the 2nd set at 21-15 and claim their place in the final with a 2-0 (31-29, 21-15) win.

Local team Rob Flay and Chris Gregory were hoping for a nice belated birthday present for Chris when they met up with brothers Luke and Jake Sheaf. Having already met numerous times in the past, each team knew the opposition�s weaknesses and tried hard to exploit them. This was a big match for both teams and with the huge blocks put up by 6'10" Gregory and great defending by Flay, it was a tough battle for the Sheafs but they took the 1st set 21-18 and as with the other semi final this gave the brothers the confidence they needed to go on and take the 2nd set 21-8 and the match 2-0 (21-18, 21-8).

The women's final of the Volleyball England Beach Tour was upon us as the sun shone through the threatening clouds and the grandstand filled with an excited and enthusiastic crowd waiting to witness this momentous occasion.

Gabi Medricka and Laura Plonka took to the sand to face Mel Coutts and Denise Austin. This was the moment that these players had been working so hard towards all season. It was Gabi and Laura that showed their worth in the 1st set, comfortably dominating the set from the start and taking it 21-17. Denise and Mel were not going to give in so easily and made an incredible come back in the 2nd, showing Gabi and Laura that the game was not quite over yet and taking it 21-16. With both teams working hard to compete for the title of VEBT Champions, it was Denise and Mel's experience and desire to win that shone through in the end and led them to the 3rd set win at 15-10 and the championship title with a final score of 2-1 (17-21, 21-16,15-10).

In the men's final, it was to be a battle of two Team GB pairings, with Tom Lord and Robin Miedzybrodzki ready to take on Luke and Jake Sheaf.  Tom and Robin comfortably won the 1st set with a shock score of 21-6, as they put on an almost flawless display of excellent serving, defending and transition play, while their opponents struggled through several errors in their sideout play. Luke and Jake Sheaf had to turn this momentum around if they were to stay in the game and they clearly found the necessary solutions as they fought back hard and took the 2nd set 21-19. Tensions were high in the deciding set and with grit and determination Tom and Robin's hard work, stamina and consistency finally paid off as they closed the 3rd set at 15-8 and defended the title they also won last year with a famous 2-1 (21-6, 19-21, 15-8) victory. 

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Volleyball England Beach Tour Finals