For the very first time, the Alcohol. Think Again Beach Volleyball Tour will travel south to Mandurah for its second-to-last stop of the 2020/2021 season. The event will be held at Town Beach on the 13-14 March, bringing locals a taste of the excitement of beach volleyball.
“We are looking forward to bringing this event to a new stretch of our coast-line and showcasing the game to Mandurah residents. It is so important that we continue to bring volleyball to a fresh audience to support the growth of the game and the local clubs,” said Volleyball WA CEO Robyn Kuhl.
Town Beach is no stranger to competition, having hosted a Swimming WA Open Water event in November 2020. Crowds can expect to be much closer to the action this time, as athletes will hit the sand with strength and skill to contest for a tour win.
With only two competitions left in the 2020/2021 beach volleyball season, competitive fires are reaching their peak. On the women’s side, Shelby Maher still remains undefeated in the beach tour since November 2019, so all eyes are set on defeating the seasoned champion. The pairing of Melissa Kennedy and Tessa Anderson landed them with the #1 seed for this weekend, so they may just be the team to achieve this goal.
A mixed bag of winners in the men’s competition this year has kept each tournament exciting and unpredictable. In saying that, the top two seeds this weekend reflect four players who have appeared in one or more grand finals, or collected one or more tournament wins this season. Sitting at the #1 seed is Mark Petersen and Daniel Piggott, both having collected gold medals this season. At #2 is Adrian Lee and Griffin Bateman, with Bateman coming off his most recent win in Geraldton two weeks ago, and Lee appearing in the WA Open Grand Final back in January.
“We thank naming rights sponsor Healthway for their support of the tour and we are happy to be taking their Alcohol. Think Again message out into the regions. We also thank the City of Mandurah for providing the support to bring this event to their region for the first time. Playing volleyball in its many forms and leading a healthy and happy lifestyle is so very important in these challenging times.” Kuhl added.
This weekend will feature the Elite Divisions on Saturday and the Competitive Divisions on Sunday, bringing you different pairings to follow each day.
City of Mandurah Mayor Rhys Williams said, “We’re happy to be welcoming players, spectators and organisers of the Alcohol. Think Again Beach Volleyball Tour to our beautiful city in the coming days. Close to 50 beach volleyball teams will come to Mandurah to compete. We wish them well in the competition and hope they all take the chance to explore our city and the range of experiences we have on offer.”
Following this event, the series will wrap up in City Beach on the 27-28 March. For more information about this event or any others on the Alcohol. Think Again Beach Tour, please visit www.volleyballwa.com.au or contact the Volleyball WA office on 9228 8522.