Volleyball players compete by the ocean in tribute to stroke victim
Beach volleyball players of all skill levels once again gathered along the Deerfield Beach shoreline for the annual Ranse Volleyball Classic pro-am benefit tournament.
The event honors the late Ranse Jones, who died from a stroke while competing in a volleyball tournament match in 2010.
There is a kindred spirit shared among the volleyball community, and having the opportunity to honor their beloved teammate and his legacy was incentive enough to draw another large field to play and raise funds for the Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund.
Tournament organizers Doug Nascimento, John Esposito, Andre Melo and Diogo Sousa were hoping to top last year’s donation total of $40,000.
The weekend matches involved over 225 teams matched up through a blind grab bag selection. Players started out by competing in a King of the Beach poolplay format before heading into the elimination round. Amateur players were thrilled to have a professional or a veteran of the sport as their partner.
Jones was the dog-loving, guitar-playing guy from North Carolina who adhered to the motto “Live Simple, Play Hard.” Players and spectators proudly wore shirts displaying that motto.
In the women’s championship, Deerfield Beach residents Flavia Fernandes and Alexa Downie won a thrilling three-set match against Kendra VanZwieten and Christina Koenig. VanZwieten is an Association of Volleyball Professionals player.
Fernandes is a former professional player from Brazil who has played in the Ranse charity outing for years and entered the winner’s circle for the first time with Downie, who also plays soccer and is a goalkeeper at Lynn University.
In the pivotal third set, the Fernandes/Downie duo trailed 14-11 and faced triple match point but rallied back with determination to prevail 16-14 and have their names inscribed on the Hunter Cup trophy named after Jones’ dog.
“Alexa and I matched up very well. It was a lot of fun,” Fernandes said. “Being a local girl in the community, it’s a big deal to get your name on the Cup.”
Fernandes wouldn’t be anywhere else but on Deerfield’s beach during the Ranse Jones attraction.
“This is such a meaningful tournament for us because it’s about Ranse and its super cool to win,” she said. “With work and being a mom, I don’t get to play as much as I would like. After we won it took me a few minutes to understand what happened and I couldn’t believe it.”
On the men’s side, Brandon Lozano and Lucas Ormos upset the favored Gergely Takacs and Jonathan Rogers to have their names inscribed on the Hunter Cup Trophy named after Jones’ dog.
Among the coed competitors, Kevin Craig (Deerfield Beach), Mike DiPierro (Pompano Beach), C.J. Macias (Fort Lauderdale), Melissa Roberts (Deerfield Beach) and Brian Chapman (Oregon) shared time on the court for a title-clinching effort.
The Ranse Classic has seen many positive changes since its inception eight years ago. Sponsoring partner Broward Health North and title sponsor DS Sports Plex have made significant contributions, while the Dig the Beach organization has stepped up to provide expertise in running the tournament.
DS Sports Plex owner Larry Dezenzo was proud to see how the Ranse Classic has evolved into one of the most popular tournaments on the beach volleyball circuit.
“The Ranse Classic has grown into a national event where people from all over the country come to memorialize our friend Ranse,” Dezenzo said. “This tournament brings out the best in everyone.”
Futurevest@aol.com