Sand. Rain. Sweat. On Monday, February 26, girls beach volleyball fought hard against Ventura High School while rain poured down on them, turning the sandy courts into a muddy mess. Being able to leave class before lunch and play their favorite sport on the edge of the beach sounded like a perfect afternoon to the girls, but of course the weather had other plans and took them by surprise.
Beach volleyball is a 2 vs 2 game with very similar rules of volleyball, except for the obvious difference, playing in the sand. Having to communicate and move swiftly around the court are such big components in this fast paced game. Because of the sport being outside, ball control and weather awareness is important because you need to be prepared for anything when playing at the beach. To win, a team has to win two out of the three sets, with the first two sets being the first to 21 while the last set is the first to 15 points. Sophomore Eva Khazin said, “Beach is such a fun sport and helps me train and better my skills for indoor season.”
Ventura, a D1 beach volleyball team, was a tough competitor and the girls were able to hold themselves up and give Ventura a challenge, but the varsity team ended up being defeated. Even though they lost to this team, Royal beach volleyball is ranked 11 out of 89 schools in the division 2 CIF ranking.
Coach Matt Garland would like to tell all future students who are interested in girls beach volleyball that they should not be afraid to give it a try. Coach Matt said, “The three most important things in my life are my family, golf, and Royal girls beach volleyball. Watching the girls mature not only as athletes but as people who have to take responsibility for their actions on the court with their partner, it’s an awesome thing to see. Winning is great but seeing the enjoyment on the girls’ faces as they become better is what makes me want to continue to coach beach volleyball.”
