Waves of athletes travelled to the city of Parksville to compete in Volleyball BC’s third event of the 2016 VBC Pro Beach Tour Series over this past weekend.
Recognized as a staple location for the former coast-to-coast Labatt Blue National Pro Beach Volleyball Tour (1998), Parksville now welcomes a variety of tournaments into the city, including Beach Nationals back in 2014-2015. Introducing the Parksville Pro as part of the five stops in the VBC Pro Tour extends on a great tradition as their beach is arguably known as BC’s second largest beach with the capacity to host 38 beach volleyball courts.
The island tournament started out with rainy conditions, but Sunday’s playoff matches saw fairer weather right as the gold medal matches began. The Women’s side was a great battle as duos Joanna Braun/Rachelle Thomas edged out a tough 2-0 win against Kits Classic Cup winners Liz Cordonier/Julianna Kaufmanis (21-17, 23-21). Action on the Men’s side was heated with lots of blocks, spikes and hustle plays, ultimately showing Dave Beleznay/Ryan Gandy a 2-0 victory against Joel Caschetto/Ben Ricketts (21-12, 21-16).
With three of the five stops complete, the VBC Pro Tour leaderboard is really starting to reveal the top contenders for both the 2016 Pro Tour Championship title and the $1000 cash award! Leading the Men’s side in points is Joel Caschetto (537), with Dave Beleznay (535) not far behind. On the Women’s side, Juliana Kaufmanis (543) has kept the slight lead all season long after finishing top three in all her events, but there’s news that outside commitments could take her away from one of the tour stops. If so, duos Darby Dunn (541)/Quinci Birker (541), as well as Rachelle Thomas (540) will be sure to take advantage to grab some crucial tour points.
The final outcomes could change drastically with only two stops remaining on the tour and tons of points up at stake. Depending on the last two scheduled competitions, keep your eyes out on notable tour pros like Katie Wiskar (531), Stephanie Sloan (530), Alyssa Wolf (528) on the Women’s, and Bob Bayntun/Pat Poissant (527), Andrew Robson/Ed Hulshof/Ralph Krawelitzki (526) on the Men’s.
The Kelowna Pro (formerly the Penticton Pro) event is held in the Okanagan region, the fourth stop prior to the tour concluding event (Vancouver Open).
Upcoming VBC Pro Tour events:
The Volleyball BC Pro Beach Tour features pro volleyball athletes competing in five signature events from May to July in three regions of British Columbia with a total prize purse of $25,000. The Men’s and Women’s tour champions will each receive $1,000 at the end of the season. The $1,000 tour championship title is awarded based on cumulative points, so it’s necessary for athletes to compete in all five events to be eligible.
View the VBC Pro Tour Leaderboards
For full results, photos, and videos, visit the VBC Pro Tour page.
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Parksville Pro Women’s Final
Parksville Pro Men’s Final