New Zealander Polley and Tilley had all the answers, winning 21-12, 21-18, and then convincingly won their remaining two pool matches of Australian Championships on the Gold Coast

New Zealand beach volleyballers Shaunna Polley and Julia Tilley have confounded the handicappers by dominating their pool on the opening day of the Australian Championships on the Gold Coast.

Polley and Tilley, New Zealand’s top female team, were given 14th seeding for this weekend’s event, despite strong form in New Zealand this summer.

“Today coming out there mentally we thought we had something to prove, being 14th seed, so we were really hungry to take that top spot,” Tilley said.

“It’s been a busy season so far in New Zealand, which has been really good prep for us.”

The New Zealanders found themselves drawn in the opening match against tournament fourth seeds, and home town favourites, Jordan and Justine Mowen.

Polley and Tilley had all the answers, winning 21-12, 21-18, and then convincingly won their remaining two pool matches.

Despite their success, the Polley-Tilley combination may soon be coming to an end.

“I’m planning on doing a year’s worth of travel in the States, so we’re still working out how it’s going to work out for us as a team, but it’s not looking all that good,” Polley said.

“This season we’re really just starting to peak, our base level is much higher, so we’re playing a lot more consistent, and winning against some top girls.”

There were few other surprises on the opening day of competition, played in mostly dry conditions under threatening skies.

Women’s top seeds, Nikki Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, comfortably topped their group, while the top men’s teams all emerged unscathed.

The Australian Championship finals will be played on Monday afternoon

The Volleyball Federation of India on Tuesday announced the Indian teams for the South Asian Games (SAG) to be held at Guwahati from February 5 to 9.

The teams:

Men: G.R. Vaishnav, Naveen Raja Jacob, Ukkrapandian (all Tamil Nadu), Lavmeet Kataria (Rajasthan), Karthik (Karnataka), Prabagaran, Prabakaran Pattani (Railways), Hardeep Singh, Gurinder Singh (Punjab), Vinit Kumar, Ranjit Singh (Uttarakhand), C. Jerome Vinith (Kerala).

Head coach: G.E. Sridharan.

Women: Tiji Raju, S. Rekha, M. Sruthi, K.S. Jini (Kerala), Anusri Ghosh, K.S. Smisha, Nirmal, M.S. Poornima, Preeti Singh, Priyanka Khedkar, Terin Antony (Railways), P. Narmada (Telangana).

Head coach: R.P. Tailor.

The Kazakhstan Volleyball Federation has announced the appointment of coach Vyacheslav Shapran to lead their women's team at the World and Asian Olympic Qualification Tournamen

Astana, Kazakhstan, January 20, 2016 - The Kazakhstan Volleyball Federation has announced the appointment of coach Vyacheslav Shapran to lead their women's team at the World and Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan from May 14 to 22 and at the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix this year.

It will be the 68-year-old Almaty local's second stint with the national team. Between 2001 and 2006, Shapran led Kazakhstan to silver at the 2005 Asian Championship and to the 17th place in their first ever appearance at a FIVB Volleyball World Championship in 2006.

Kazakhstan will join Japan, Korea, Thailand, the Netherlands, Italy, Peru and the Dominican Republic at the combined World and Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament from May 14-22 in Tokyo, Japan. The top three ranked teams plus the best ranked Asian team will qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. If an Asian team is ranked among the top three, then the next ranked team will be qualified.

Williams Diaz joins the Qatar League

Volleyball is to Cuba what football is to Brazil. Cuban players bring a certain flavour to the game which is unmatched. Be it their impromptu jig after scoring a point or catch-me-if-you-can style runs following a retrieval or their runaway celebrations after winning a match, they are the ultimate entertainers of the game.

From Lionel Marshall to Osmel Camejo, the Qatar League has been blessed with an array of Cuban players and the latest to join the list is Williams Diaz. The 29-year-old spiker, who joined Police at the start of the season from Italy’s Volley Monza, is giving the sport a new dimension with his bag of theatrics.

A livewire on the court, Diaz is noted as much for his celebrations as for his contributions to his team's play.

In a crucial match against champions Al Rayyan last week, Diaz relieved the tension in the Police camp with his light approach and presence of mind. Over-the-top celebrations after winning a point were followed by animated ear-pinching gestures.

And finally, the win over the champions was celebrated with a chest-bumping exercise and war cry which reverberated inside the Qatar Volleyball Association Indoor Hall.

“I play like this because I love the sport. Volleyball has been my life ever since I was a child. I don’t have any inhibitions and I’m always like this on the court. My team knows that I’m like this and they’re happy. So am I,” Diaz told Doha Stadium Plus Magazine.

In a short span of time, Diaz has broken the stereotype image of Qatar League players who prefer to be serious on the court.

Not the one to let go of an opportunity to have friendly banter with a rival, the 2m-tall player makes sure that he never crosses the line.

“I know that I’m different from other players in the Qatar League. I’m a person of jovial nature and I always approach things with an open heart. There’s no point being too serious on the court. Sport is meant for enjoyment and relaxation, and you’ve to take it that way. If I see a player in trouble, even if he’s in the opposition, I don’t mind helping him,” added Diaz, who has plied his trade with some of the best-known clubs in Italy and Cuba.

Diaz feels at home in Qatar, as there are many Cubans playing in the league, even though most of them play for different teams.

Al Arabi’s Camejo has already proved his mettle with his stellar performance in the season-opening Association Cup. Diaz will be up against his compatriot on Saturday when Police take on Arabi in an eagerly-awaited contest.

“Cubans, we’re like a family here in Qatar. On the field we may be strong rivals, but we do go out together for dinner on non-match days. Club rivalry doesn’t stand in the way of friendship and family,” he added.

Police, whose best performance in the league was a runners-up finish in 2014, have not lost a single match so far this season and Diaz hopes he can help the team continue in the same vein and has high ambitions for the club.

“We play every day thinking each match is a final. That’s the only way we can raise the bar. The Qatar League is strong with teams like Rayyan and Arabi all having a big history. I want Police to break their stranglehold and if I can contribute to that, I’ll be a happy man.

“It’s all about the right mentality. If you approach each game thinking you can win it, then nothing is impossible. I hope we can break through this season,” he concluded.

Tianjin Bohai Bank win first battle in China Women’s League Finals

Tianjin, China, January 19, 2016 - Tianjin Bohai Bank kicked off the China Women’s Volleyball League Finals with a bang after producing a magnificent comeback 3-1 (18-25, 25-16, 34-32, 25-18) home victory over Jiangsu Zhongtian Steel on Saturday.

It was a real breath-taking battle as both parties even produced the season-highest score 34-32 in the third set, where Jiangsu saved six set points compared with three of Tianjin.

Both teams are quite familiar with each other and both head coaches Wang Baoquan and Cai Bin were once head coach of China national team. There was a fantastic energy and tension throughout the match. In the first set, Tianjin Bohai Bank caught stalled as Jiangsu posed a perfect defense. In the second set, Tianjin Bohai Bank substituted their “trump card” Li Ying and locked a big lead immediately, leading a smooth going to the end, except the third set of jigsaw pattern.

The best scorer went to Cuban Nancy Carrillo, as she bagged 28 points for Tianjin. Both Zhang Changning and Gong Xiangyu contributed 21 points apiece for Jiangsu.

“Tianjin Bohai Bank are formidable rivals. Our team need to take warning from them. Technique and mentality matter, but sometimes a little luck decides. Of course, the intimidating home atmosphere also helped Tianjin a lot.”said Cai Bin, head coach of Jiangsu Zhongtian Steel.

The Finals of China Women’s Volleyball League will play best of five. Both teams will resume the second match Tuesday in Tianjing, and then Jiangsu will have consecutive three home matches.

Tianjin Bohai Bank hold the record for the highest set score during the League Finals with a 39-37 win over Shanghai in 2010.

NSW Premier joins Olympic stars of the past and future at Volleyfest Launch on Manly Beach

Sydney, Australia, January 18, 2016 - NSW Premier, Mike Baird, joined Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medalists, Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook, for the media announcement of the biggest beach volleyball event in Australia since the Sydney Olympics.

In the space of just two weeks, Manly Beach will host the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour Finals, the inaugural 4 Nations Cup, and the Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Volleyball Championships.

Joining Premier Baird and the Olympic gold medalists at the launch on Monday morning were Manly locals Nicole Laird and Mariafe Artacho del Solar, who are hoping to qualify later this year to represent Australia in Beach Volleyball at the Rio Olympics.

The Manly Volleyfest, which will run over three weekends from March 18 until March 28 and will become a regular fixture over the next three years at Manly Beach, thanks to the partnership with the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

“Volleyfest is a festival of beach volleyball that sees some of the world’s best converge on Manly Beach for nine days of competition. With the Rio Olympics around the corner, the competition will be intense, and it will attract visitors to Manly from around Australia and overseas,” Mr. Baird said.

Over the next three years, Volleyfest is expected to attract more than 8,000 domestic and international visitors, with an estimated visitor spend of $6.2 million. The event will also showcase Manly Beach to a worldwide audience, highlighting the spectacular beach and surrounds.

Taking place just after the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly Beach, the event will see the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour Finals played from March 19-20, the 4 Nations Cup from March 21-22 and the AVC Asian Championships from March 25-28.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport, Stuart Ayres said the event was perfectly suited to Manly Beach.

“Manly is one of our State’s most iconic beaches, and is the ideal host for Volleyfest. I encourage all visitors to Volleyfest to take some time to explore the area’s restaurants, shops and natural attractions as there is something on offer for all ages and tastes,” Mr. Ayres said.

Volleyball Australia would like to thank the NSW Government, Destination NSW, Manly Council, Hancock Prospecting, the Georgina Hope Foundation, Bendon Lingerie, Three Threes Condiments and the Schwartz Family Company for their on-going support of its beach and indoor programs.

Mairangi BV Open concluded in NZ

Auckland, New Zealand, January 18, 2016 - The North Shore turned on some spectacular weather for the last leg of the New Zealand Beach Volleyball Open Tour.

Hosted by the Mairangi Bay Beach Volleyball Centre on Auckland’s North Shore, players turned up expecting some tight battles, after the three previous events. And they were not disappointed. First pool play of the day saw Paora Morunga and Thomas Hartles have an epic battle with locals Charlie Stewart and Liam Munday, both teams pushed hard, with Morunga and Harltes narrowly coming away with the 22-24, 21-18, 21-19 win.

It set the tone of the tournament with many tight three setters right throughout both days.

The final showdown was a repeat of the Mount event with O’Dea / Watson taking on Shiratori and Ageba from Japan. The New Zealand team showed their class after resting from Karapiro winning in two straight sets.

O’dea said after the match “After losing to Japan in Mt Maunganui we were eager for some revenge and finish the first leg of the tour on top. Our decision to rest the Karapiro event was the right decision for our team as we were mentally and physically fresh for the Mairangi Open. We had Craig Seuseu working with us as our coach and came up with some solid strategies going into the final. We were able to execute our game plan and closed the game out in straight sets. We now practice and leave to Australia for the Australian Championships which we are defending champions."

The women’s side of the draw was just fairly straight forward until the quarters when things became tense.

The experience of Micah Lindsay-Brown combined with the blocking skills of Jessie Muggeridge came back from one set down against Mount Maunganui duo of Alice Bain and Kiana Tawa to be the first into the semi-finals, winning 16-21, 24-22, 15-9.

The women’s final was also a repeat which saw New Zealand’s top female team of Julia Tilley and Shaunna Polley face the International team from Japan, Hasegawa and Kusano. However, the result wasn’t on repeat with the New Zealand team determined to take the win of the final event. In a fitting tribute to an exceptional game, Tilley aced on match point, winning 21-19, 21-11.

Tilley said, "Playing the Japanese for the fourth time in the final we knew we really had to bring our A game and put them under pressure. We came out with a good strategy and stayed focused feeding off each other's energy. It was great to take the win over such an experienced team, especially in front of friends and family. There was a great atmosphere at the venue and was all round an awesome event! We are looking forward to stepping up our game even more as we head over to Australia next weekend and into the New Zealand pro tour events”.