Saturday 21st July 2012 saw the 2nd Annual Riverside Beach Volleyball Masters taking place at the Riverside Transport Museum in Glasgow.
The format was the same as last year with 3 womens teams and 3 mens teams in a round-robin format. Prize money was on offer and in addition the SVA Referees Commission ran a Grade 2 Beach Referees course alongside the action. With six of the seven beach volleyball NTOs in attendance, it provided much needed practice before they all headed off to Olympic duty.
Apart from a short shower in the morning, the sun shone on proceedings and with Colin McGinlay’s dulcet tones on the microphone, the action began with number 1 seeds Mel Coutts and Natalija Durkaca comfortably beating Emma Clarkson and Anna Fischer 21-9, 21-9.
Next up was Clarkson and Fischer against Kamila Zakoutska and Aileen Hall. Zakoutska and Hall had never played together before, however quickly gelled to narrowly take the first set 23-21. By the second set they had figured out how each other played and took the second set comfortably 21-9.
The final, however, was never in danger of going to anyone but Coutts and Durkaca, who took the match and the title 21-12, 21-11.
There was a short break where anyone who wanted to try beach volleyball could do so and volunteer coaches took various kids and adults through their paces for an hour while the referees debriefed.
The men’s competition got underway with number 1 seeds Konrad Krawczyk and Rinars Teters playing newly formed partnership Jack McKeown and Lenard Sobieracki. The first set was comfortable for Krawczyk and Teters as McKeown and Sobieracki tested out the new partnership. By the second set they had found that out and almost took it, eventually narrowly losing 21-19.
Sobieracki and McKeown were on court again against reigning champion Colin Paterson and his new partner Giannos Panayiotakis. After some great play by both sides, Paterson and Panayiotakis took control of the match, winning 21-11, 21-16.
The first set of the final was a one-sided affair with the power of Krawczyk and Teters cancelled out by the superior ball control of Paterson and Panayiotakis. The second set was closer though, with Paterson and Panayiotakis relinquishing a good lead to narrowly take the second set and the title 21-12, 21-19.
This was another great exhibition tournament at the Glasgow Riverside Museum and we are already looking forward to next year.
