Volley by the Bay has officially wrapped up with glowing feedback and outstanding WA team results signalling a successful inaugural event.

The nine-day festival held in Bunbury entertained the local south west community with more than 4,000 people heading down to Kombana Bay to see the next generation of Australian Beach Volleyball players battle it out. Combining the Alcohol. Think Again WA Beach tour, Australian U23 Beach Volleyball Championships and the Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships, Volley by the Bay delivered across the board.

On the sand, Team WA stepped up to challenge, thrilling the home crowd and producing some exceptional volleyball. Against a dominant Queensland team, WA proved its steel and ended up fielding athletes in every Volley by the Bay final series.

In total 28 WA athletes made it through to the gold and bronze medal matches in the Australian U23 and Junior Championships. Showcasing the growth in Volleyball WA’s junior program, the young athletes took on Australia’s best and walked with eight national medals. A credit to the state team’s coaches, the WA team’s success signals that the state is primed for more success in the coming years.

While off the sand, Volleyball WA maximised the event to deliver a economic and social legacy for Volleyball in the region by utilising 21 local South West businesses. Leveraging the record number of junior participants at the Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships, Volley by the Bay is estimated to have injected more than 1.85 million dollars in to Bunbury’s economy.

“We are beyond thrilled with the results from Volley by the Bay. The feedback we have received makes it clear that Volley by the Bay has a set a new standard for Volleyball events in Australia.” Volleyball WA CEO Robyn Kuhl said.

“The success of our athletes and the support they received from the regional community reaffirm that Volleyball is on the rise in WA. This event has made it clear that Volleyball is quickly becoming a larger player in the sporting landscape of not only the state, but also the nation.“

WA NATIONAL MEDALISTS

GOLD

U15 Women – Caitlin Whincup, Cassie Dodd & Elizabeth Alchin

SILVER

U23 Men – Greg Hunt & Maksim Bacovic

U19 Men – Griffin Bateman & Nikita Machenkov

U17 Men – Lewis Peach & Samuel Bateman

U17 Women – Sarah Burton & Tia Chamberlain

U15 Women – Alexia Zammit, Giovana Paiva Nunes & Harriet Jones

BRONZE

U23 Women – Olivia Stewart & Waverly Burling

U19 Men – Ky Landers & Caleb Lampard