Hamilton Open draws top international beach volleyball tandems
Hamilton, New Zealand, February 1, 2012 - Some of the world's top beach volleyball players will take on a host of local hopefuls on the edge of Hamilton Lake on Saturday and Sunday as the New Zealand National Beach Volleyball Tour continues.
The Hamilton Open, the third leg of the circuit will be played in the city with approximately 30 tonnes of sand and four small grandstand units making up the temporary arena.
The women's draw, with 16 teams in the main event, looks particularly strong, with eight international teams entered, including two of the top-10 world-ranked teams: the Netherlands Marleen Van Iersel and Sanne Keizer, and Germany's Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig, winners of the 2011 event. The field is so strong that three of the international teams, including the 70th-ranked Vanuatu team, will have to come through qualifying rounds to make the main draw.
Challenging the internationals will be a host of top-ranked New Zealand teams, including Hamilton Club players Lydia McCormack (winner of the opening event at Lake Karapiro), Julia Tilley and Jessie Muggeridge.
In the men's draw, top kiwi tandem and World Tour regulars Kirk Pitman and Jason Lochead, as well as 2011 Hamilton Open Champions, brothers Sam and Ben O'Dea, will welcome 2009 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH world champions Germany’s Julius Brink and Jonas Reckerman as well as Norway’s Tarjah Skarland and Martin Spinnangr, Sweden‘s Hannes Brinkbourg and Steffan Gunnarson and USA’s Ed Ratlege and Jesse Rambis, with local players Tim Kirk, Kenny Hellyer and Viljami Kinnunen all hoping to gain direct entry into the main draw. The four kiwi men are working towards the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Oceania zonal tournament, part of the Olympic qualification series.
Games on the Saturday, as well as the Qualifying event on the Friday, will also be played at the Te Rapa Beach Volleyball Centre, in Ashurst Park, Pukete. The men's and women's semifinals will start at 9am local time at Hamilton Lake on Sunday, with the men's final scheduled for 1pm followed by the women's at 2pm.
COBRA SPORTS
The Hamilton Open, the third leg of the circuit will be played in the city with approximately 30 tonnes of sand and four small grandstand units making up the temporary arena.
The women's draw, with 16 teams in the main event, looks particularly strong, with eight international teams entered, including two of the top-10 world-ranked teams: the Netherlands Marleen Van Iersel and Sanne Keizer, and Germany's Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig, winners of the 2011 event. The field is so strong that three of the international teams, including the 70th-ranked Vanuatu team, will have to come through qualifying rounds to make the main draw.
Challenging the internationals will be a host of top-ranked New Zealand teams, including Hamilton Club players Lydia McCormack (winner of the opening event at Lake Karapiro), Julia Tilley and Jessie Muggeridge.
In the men's draw, top kiwi tandem and World Tour regulars Kirk Pitman and Jason Lochead, as well as 2011 Hamilton Open Champions, brothers Sam and Ben O'Dea, will welcome 2009 FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH world champions Germany’s Julius Brink and Jonas Reckerman as well as Norway’s Tarjah Skarland and Martin Spinnangr, Sweden‘s Hannes Brinkbourg and Steffan Gunnarson and USA’s Ed Ratlege and Jesse Rambis, with local players Tim Kirk, Kenny Hellyer and Viljami Kinnunen all hoping to gain direct entry into the main draw. The four kiwi men are working towards the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup Oceania zonal tournament, part of the Olympic qualification series.
Games on the Saturday, as well as the Qualifying event on the Friday, will also be played at the Te Rapa Beach Volleyball Centre, in Ashurst Park, Pukete. The men's and women's semifinals will start at 9am local time at Hamilton Lake on Sunday, with the men's final scheduled for 1pm followed by the women's at 2pm.
COBRA SPORTS
Posted by Blog.Cobravolleyball.com at 2/2/2012 6:43 AM 
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Categories: uncategorized
Tags: volleyball equipment volleyball and net net volleyball volley ball beach volleyball net sand volleyball net
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