Big spike in interest as tour looms
BEACH EVENT HARD WORK
THE sand will be flying as balls are spiked when elite athletes slide across the Cairns Esplanade in search of gold and glory this weekend.
Cairns Volleyball Association (CVA) president Chris Poppell said local players had been training hard and smart to prepare for round 4 of the Queensland Beach Volleyball Tour, which commences on Saturday morning.
Poppell said while the recent Cairns Cup volleyball competition had been an outstanding success, playing outdoor on sand in a two-person team made the game much more intense than indoor with a squad of six.
“Beach volleyball is hard work because the sand gives which means there’s more effort,” Poppell said.
“So players need to appreciate the elements and try to manipulate them to your advantage, such as if you are serving into the wind there’s greater pressure against you which allows you to hit the ball harder.
“But serving with the wind helped push the ball further at the court.”
Champion women’s volleyball athlete Thuy Vu Farmer, 44, said she hoped to replicate her success where she won gold in the Great Barrier Reef Challenge on October 1.
“As a shorter player I prefer beach volleyball as it relies on finesse rather than power,” she said.
“My volleyball partner and I hope to make the final four, but making the final two would be better.”
Meanwhile, Poppell said the event’s return to FNQ is a boost for the sport and gives recognition to the calibre of players in the region.
“The last time the event was held here was in 2017,”
Poppell said. “This is the first time CVA is in joint partnership with Volleyball Queensland and we are really stoked that already we are 50 per cent up on expected numbers.
“We expect more than 60 competitors making 30 teams across the Premier Challenge women’s and men’s and U17 male and female events. Everyone is invited to come and watch some spectacular volleyball on the Cairns foreshore from 9am on Saturday.”