The Alcohol Think Again Beach Tour hit the road over the weekend and made its way down south to Albany for two days of volleyball action. Playing along the picturesque Middleton Beach, more than 45 players went head to head to see who would claim the seventh round of the 2017/18 Alcohol Think Again Beach Tour.
Following a successful 2018 WA State Open stop in Scarborough, the Alcohol Think Again Beach Tour made its triumphant debut in Albany. The two day competition did not disappoint with some of WA’s top regional players testing seasoned tour players during the preliminary rounds.
“The Men’s and Women’s Grand Finals provided the perfect finale to the Albany Round with stunning volleyball on show. The finals provided the perfect footnote to a fantastic first venture onto the pristine sands of Middleton Beach. The setup of the courts was immaculate and offered locals a glimpse to what is on offer more regularly on Perth’s beaches. The exposure is certain to have lifted the profile of the sport and we hope to see more people involved in beach volleyball in the years ahead.” Nick Bew Albany Volleyball Association President said.
The women’s final saw Waverley Burling and Olivia Stewart play Georgia Diaz and Amy Mcilroy. Number one seeded duo Burling and Stewart looked in firing form taking out the first set 21-17, however Diaz and Mcilroy fought back in an entertaining second set to edge a head and clinch the set 22-20. Taking the match to a third and final set, Burling and Stewart looked determined to add a second 2017/18 Alcohol Think Again Beach tour win to their names. While both sides put on a show during the third set, there was no denying Burling and Stewart their dues. The duo ended their Albany campaign winning the deciding set 15-10 and claiming the Albany title.
While in the Men’s final, WA State Open semi-finalists Jonathan Hunt and Sam Kingston faced off against local Albany boy Cameron Dall and Brett Lewington. Hunt and Kingston made quick work of Dall and Lewington in the first set taking it out 21-12 and looked primed to collect their first 2018 Alcohol Think Again Beach Tour win. A resilient Dall and Lewington endeavoured to fight back and produced an admirable second set forcing the game well past the 21st point. However the challenge fell short with Hunt and Kingston proving to be too strong, taking out the second set and win 31-29.
If you missed the Albany stop of the Alcohol Think Again Beach Tour, then head to Joel 20-10 Photography’s Facebook Page to see some shots from the two day competition.
Round 8 of the Alcohol Think Again Beach Tour will be played at Sorrento Beach on the 7th and 8th April. To find out more, click here.
Photo Credit: Joel Campbell (Joel 201-10 Photography)