Beach Volleyball Scotland Edinburgh Championships Day One

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 COMPETITIONThe 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 WOMENS GROUP TWO WOMENS GROUP THREE1. Agata Zaremba Gillian Lyall

1. Nicola McKenzie Emma Clarkson

1. Catherine Smy Lillian Lieber

2. Ewelina Michalk Sondrea Larson

2. Chiara Asselborn Natalie Gordon

2. Anna Fischer Michelle Paterson

3. Jen Thom Juliana Facanha

3. Klara Urbanova Xin Ma

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



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 McKenzieEmma Clarkson

21-19, 21-16----> Catherine SmyLillian Lieber

Catherine SmyLillian Lieber

5-21, 21-4, 15-9 -----> Catherine SmyLillian Lieber

Ewelina MichalkSondrea Larson

21-19, 21-18----> Agata ZarembaGillian Lyall

Chiara AsselbornNatalie Gordon

21-13, 21-6---------> Anna FischerMichelle Paterson

Anna FischerMichelle Paterson

21-19, 21-10----> Agata ZarembaGillian Lyall

Agata ZarembaGillian Lyall



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 MEN GROUP TWO1. Graham Riddle / Barry McGuigan 1. Mariusz Chudzik/ Jaroslaw Pasko2. Colin McGinlay / Paul Johnson 2. Konrad Krawczyk / Marcin Mosinski3. Connall Tennant / Calum Connelly 3. Fraser Strachan / Yeray Pena Hernandez4. Kristian Vaurus / Alberto Luna 4. Iain Cook / Michael Penny5. Tao-Ho Chang / Claude Schmit

MEN GROUP THREE MEN GROUP FOUR1. Jack McKeown / Callum Moir 1. Lenard Sobieracki / Justus Frenz2. Ross Kirkwood / Connor Boyle 2. Ioannis Pannayiotakis / Przemyslaw Bratkowski3. Jamie Salvin/Uriel Mehamed 3. Matt Coward / Petr Kolomaznik4. Matar Alniadi / Tarmizi Mohamed Mohd 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 &



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.



MEN'S FINAL STAGES

QUARTER FINALS SEMI FINALS FINAL

Mariusz Chudzik Jaroslaw Pasko

21-19, 22-20--------->Mariusz Chudzik Jaroslaw Pasko

Ioannis Pannayiotakis Przemyslaw Bratkowski

21-0, 21-0------->Mariusz ChudzikJaroslaw Pasko

Jack McKeownCallum Moir

21-13 21-18--------->Jack McKeown Callum Moir

Colin McGinlayPaul Johnson

21-13, 19-21, 15-9--->Graham RiddleBarry McGuigan

Lenard SobierackiJustus Frenz

21-18, 22-20-------->Konrad Krawczyk Marcin Mosinski

Konrad KrawczykMarcin Mosinski

21-19, 21-12-------->Graham RiddleBarry McGuigan

Graham RiddleBarry McGuigan

21-15, 21-15--------->Graham RiddleBarry McGuigan

Ross KirkwoodConnor Boyle

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 MacDonaldMarketingBeach Volleyball Scotlandwww.facebook.com/BeachVolleyballScotlandM: +44 (0) 7473 158278E: [email protected]



http://www.facebook.com/BeachVolleyballScotland

Beach Volleyball Scotland Edinburgh Championships Day One

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