WINDHOEK – Last weekend’s DTS/IAE Beach Volleyball Tourney held at the DTS Sports Ground in Windhoek proved a huge success with a total of 42 players taking part in the 2-a-side section and six 4-a-side social teams.
The tourney formed part of the National Beach Volleyball League consisting 6 tourneys with the 2-a-side teams consisted of 14 Men’s, 12 Ladies’, 10 Youth/Social 2-a-side and 6 Junior 2-a-side girls.
Traditionally, the last tourney is played in a King/Queen of the Beach modus, where players enter as individuals and play with different partners to determine the best individual Beach Volleyball Player. The 4-a-side Social Category was conducted as usual with normal rules.
The tourney enjoyed hot weather, which helped attract a good spectator turnout for the one-day event. A sum of N$5,000 in prize money was at stake and the teams fought very hard to reach the podium.
In the 4-a-side category, a total of 15 matches were played on the grass courts of the DTS grounds.
Each of the six teams competed fiercely in the round robin system. With only one defeat, the team of Cats & Dogs secured victory closely followed by Team Scoops and Farmers Attack in 3rd place.
The 2-a-side Youth/Social category attracted 10 players with the combination of Mark Brinkmann, Zuma Kalipi, Fernando Beukes and Mike Knight in the final of the individuals.
After three games, Brinkmann walked away with victory leaving Beukes in 2nd place with Knight adrift in 3rd place. The Junior Girls Category attracted 6 girls, and saw Carmen Curschmann receiving top honors in a very closely contested final 4 competition with only 1 point separating her and runner up Kristin Schulz and 3rd placed Aila Bareras.
After two preliminary rounds in the ladies category, number 1 seeded Simone von Wietersheim move to the final 4, whereas the number 2, 3 and 4 seeded players fell out.
Joining in with von Wietersheim were U 19 Junior National Player Kim Seebach, Rosi Hennes and Youth Player Carmen Curschmann.
Rosi Hennes won all her games and clinched the title Queen of the Beach of this tournament with Seebach in 2nd place and von Wietersheim in 3rd.
The 14 men field battled it out with no 1 seeded player Peter Brinkmann unable to qualify for the final four, giving 2nd ranked James Verrinder the chance to overtake him in the final ranking.
The trio of Tin Hlupic, Roman von Ludwiger and Brendon de Jager joined the latter in the finals. Verrinder, who is also doubling up as acting coach, played the most consistent volleyball to secure 1st spot as King of the Beach, followed by de Jager and Hlupic in that order.
Below are the full results:
Men:
1. James Verrinder
2. Tin Hlupic
3. Brendon de Jager
Ladies
1. Rosi Hennes
2. Kim Seebach
3. Simone von Wietersheim
2-A-side Youth/Social
1. Mark Brinkmann
2. Fernando Beukes
3. Mike Knight
4-A-side Social Mixed
1. Cats & Dogs
2. Scoops
3. Farmers Attack
2-A-side Junior Girls
1. Carmen Curschmann
2. Kristin Schulz
3. Aila Bareras
Overall rankings for 2-a-side Men & Women:
King of the Beach 2014: James Verrinder, 123 Points
Queen of the Beach 2014: Simone von Wietersheim, 130 Points
By Staff Reporter