Beach Volleyball Scotland Edinburgh Championships Portobello – 21/22 June 2014 By default, beach volleyball is normally associated with palm tress, glistening white sands, pina coladas, adriatic winds, sun kissed bodies – thankfully, in Scotland – on the East Coast, we have our very own Porto, Porto Belly - a fantastic strip of the finest quality sandstone grain in the whole of Lothian. Dog walkers and treasure trovers normally have the run of the place but not this weekend . The Beach Volleyball Scotland team rolled into action early on Saturday morning and commandeered the best of the sand and threw up some volleyball courts, a marquee and a PA system – the scene was set. A great weekend was about to unravel – over 100 competitors took to the sand at Portobello for the second leg of the Scottish Beach Volleyball Tour – the Edinburgh Championships. Saturday was points day with men and women pairs playing to win gold - in doing so accumulating valuable ranking points to become overall Scottish Beach Volleyball champion. It was a cosmopolitan affair with players from countries across the globe. Players from America, New Zealand, Poland, Germany, France, India, Belgium, Spain partnered with players from India, England, Italy, China, Russia and Scotland to create some formidable duos ready to battle it out on the sands. !6 men pairs and 9 women pairs prepared to duel it out from 10 o’clock. The sun was hiding behind high clouds, slight onshore breeze keeping things just at the right temperature no doubt things would heat up during the day.
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The draw was made and the leagues got under way. Early doors, players in both men's and women's pairs finding their feet and delivering some good beach play. Couple of games in and the veterans of the circuit showing their form. League play continued throughout the morning with some close run games.
WOMEN'S COMPETITION The women's competition was well underway – having to run three groups it ensured maximum games for participants – it was going to be a busy affair for all those involved. Everything went according to plan. Gillian Lyall, having just returned from representing Scotland in the Slovenia was on top form and with her partner Agate Zaremba made short work of their opponents in the groups although they did find some resistance in the newly formed pair of Eweline Michalk and Sondrea Larson. In group three, Catherine Smy and Lillian Lieber looked to be on form and group two leaders Nicola McKenzie and Emma Clarkson made short work of their opponents. Women’s groups ended up like this
WOMENS GROUP ONE 1. Agata Zaremba Gillian Lyall 2. Ewelina Michalk Sondrea Larson 3. Jen Thom Juliana Facanha
WOMENS GROUP TWO 1. Nicola McKenzie Emma Clarkson 2. Chiara Asselborn Natalie Gordon 3. Klara Urbanova Xin Ma
WOMENS GROUP THREE 1. Catherine Smy Lillian Lieber 2. Anna Fischer Michelle Paterson 3. Melissa Yates Lina Dzemydaite
The draw split after the group stages with Jen Thom & Juliana Facanha, Klara Urbanova & Xin Ma and Melissa Yates & Lina Dzemydaite playing in a round robin table to decide 7-9th positions. Jen & Juliana won both their games and concluded their day in 7th, Melissa & Lina managed to secure 8th position by beating Klara & Xin. In the upper half of the draw, the women’s quarter finals kicked off on the main court - a deciding set going to Catherine Smy & Lillian Lieber over Ewelina Michalk & Sondrea Larson which did have a bizarre first couple of sets... 5-21 & 21-4. In the other QF Anna Fischer & Michelle Paterson made short work of tour newbies Chiara Asselborn & Natalie Gordon. The first set in both semi finals were very close indeed both finishing 21-19... if only that serve had gone in, if only the line hit actually hit the line... questions to answered later. Smy & Lieber
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triumphed over McKenzie & Clarkson whilst Zaremba & Lyall did what was needed to defeat Fischer & Paterson. The women's final was a wee bit tense. There was some great volleyball with points and sideouts being shared evenly. Lyall & Agate took hold of service late in the first set and pushed through to win it by the narrowest of margins, 21-19. Second got off to a brisk start with Smy & Lieber takinga cuople of point lead up to 11 then Lyall & Agate started their push. Clever open play and piercing serves allowed them to draw level and then push on. They kept a two point cushion right to the end when they finished it off 21-18. Great game and summer sizzlers are guaranteed when these two teams cross paths again.
WOMEN'S FINAL STAGES QUARTER FINALS
SEMI FINALS
FINAL
Nicola McKenzie Emma Clarkson 21-19, 21-16---->
Catherine Smy Lillian Lieber
Catherine Smy Lillian Lieber 5-21, 21-4, 15-9 ----->
Catherine Smy Lillian Lieber
Ewelina Michalk Sondrea Larson 21-19, 21-18---->
Agata Zaremba Gillian Lyall
Chiara Asselborn Natalie Gordon 21-13, 21-6--------->
Anna Fischer Michelle Paterson
Anna Fischer Michelle Paterson 21-19, 21-10---->
Agata Zaremba Gillian Lyall
Agata Zaremba Gillian Lyall
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MEN'S COMPETITION 16 teams turned into 17 by the start of play – some excellent admin by Colin Paterson ensured all things progressed smoothly. A good selection of seeded pairs peppered the groups allowing newbies to experience a more intense level of play whilst giving the crowds on the promenade some quality viewing. This is how the mens group stages finished. MEN GROUP ONE 1. Graham Riddle / Barry McGuigan 2. Colin McGinlay / Paul Johnson 3. Connall Tennant / Calum Connelly 4. Kristian Vaurus / Alberto Luna 5. Tao-Ho Chang / Claude Schmit
MEN GROUP TWO 1. Mariusz Chudzik/ Jaroslaw Pasko 2. Konrad Krawczyk / Marcin Mosinski 3. Fraser Strachan / Yeray Pena Hernandez 4. Iain Cook / Michael Penny
MEN GROUP THREE 1. Jack McKeown / Callum Moir 2. Ross Kirkwood / Connor Boyle 3. Jamie Salvin/Uriel Mehamed 4. Matar Alniadi / Tarmizi Mohamed Mohd
MEN GROUP FOUR 1. Lenard Sobieracki / Justus Frenz 2. Ioannis Pannayiotakis / Przemyslaw Bratkowski 3. Matt Coward / Petr Kolomaznik 4. Chris Gill / Alex Mackenzie
Some notable performances - in group one, Colin McGinlay carried a very dehydrated Paul Johnson but together they showed great resilience, pushing themselves and their opponents to the limits - they secured second slot behind Graham Riddle & Barry McGuigan. Group two seemed by far the strongest group with Mariusz Chudzik/ Jaroslaw Pasko taking top rank over Konrad Krawczyk / Marcin Mosinski noteworthy efforts from Iain Cook / Michael Penny who left it on the court every game. Jack McKeown and our poster boy Callum Moir took top honours in group three ahead of the games chatterbox Connor Boyle and his lifelong partner Ross Kirkwood. Group four produced no surprises with Lenard Sobieracki & Justus Frenz easing through top of the table with Ioannis Pannayiotakis & Przemyslaw Bratkowski a comfortable second. The draw was then split with top eight teams playing for bragging rights but everyone playing for valuable tour points. Playing for points is all important on the beach tour and the competition continued for those in the lower half of the draw. Connol Tennant & Calum Connelly lost out to Matar Alniadi &
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Tarmizi Mohamed Mohd, who then lost out to Iain Cook & Michael Penny meanwhile in the other section Jamie Salvin & Uriel Mehamed cruised there way to ninth position play off as all their opponents had to scoot off home or to work. Despite threir excessively long rest Jamie Salvin & Uriel Mehamed finished 10th after losing the 9/10 position play off to Iain Cook & Michael Penny 21-13, 21-17. Nearly three o'clock!! Here's how the latter stages finished for the men – a few close run
things in the quarter finals with only a couple of errors separating the teams. Unfortunately, one of the semi finalist, Callum Moir ,had to get all the way back to St Andrews as he was working in the evening, this left partner Jack McKeown watching and wondering what if. Pity all the same, because it would have been an interesting tussle between them and the Aberdeen pair of Mariusz Chudzik & Jaroslaw Pasko – next time we'll see. The final saw number one seeds Graham Riddle & Barry McGuigan go head to head with number two seeds Mariusz Chudzik & Jaroslaw Pasko. Riddle & McGuigan dominated set one, catching an early lead and taking the set 21-13. Second set was nip and tuck right to the end with the Aberdeen duo pushing through to take it 21-19. The last set, played to 15 saw a slightly fitter Riddle and McGuigan take an early advantage and managed to stave off a determined comeback from Chudzik & Pasko. Riddle & McGuigan took gold this time with Chudzik & Pasko having to settle for silver.
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MEN'S FINAL STAGES QUARTER FINALS Mariusz Chudzik Jaroslaw Pasko 21-19, 22-20---------> Ioannis Pannayiotakis Przemyslaw Bratkowski
SEMI FINALS
Mariusz Chudzik Jaroslaw Pasko
21-0, 21-0-------> Jack McKeown Callum Moir 21-13 21-18---------> Colin McGinlay Paul Johnson
FINAL
Mariusz Chudzik Jaroslaw Pasko
Jack McKeown Callum Moir
21-13, 19-21, 15-9---> Lenard Sobieracki Justus Frenz 21-18, 22-20--------> Konrad Krawczyk Marcin Mosinski
Konrad Krawczyk Marcin Mosinski
21-19, 21-12--------> Graham Riddle Barry McGuigan 21-15, 21-15---------> Ross Kirkwood Connor Boyle
Graham Riddle Barry McGuigan
Graham Riddle Barry McGuigan
Graham Riddle Barry McGuigan
Day one done – medals issued, nets taken down and packed away – all ready to go again in under 12 hours for another day on the beach.
For further information please contact Gerry MacDonald Marketing Beach Volleyball Scotland www.facebook.com/BeachVolleyballScotland M: +44 (0) 7473 158278 E: gerry@weemacmedia.com
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