Mollymook played host to a fiery battle on the sands over the weekend.
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The inaugural NSW Junior Beach Volleyball Championships made it's way to the South Coast last weekend and provided some heated competition.
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This was the biggest event on the NSW Junior beach volleyball calendar and the last significant tournament before selected state teams head to Coolangatta for the Australian Youth Beach Volleyball Championships.
Therefore, it was a big stage for the young stars.
Some of the best up and coming athletes from around Australia made their way to Mollymook beach to fight it out on the sand, competing for the chance to be the NSW Junior Champion.
The event had a massive scope with 100 players competing across a four division spread over the weekend.
While there were a lot of highlights, there could only be one champion for each age range, so here they are.
Under 16 - Youth Boys
Winning the U16 competition was Asher Gill (AUS/NSW) and Felix Burke (AUS/NSW) who took down second place and even rival Angus Rooke (AUS/NSW) and Justin Wilson (AUS/NSW).
The match was tightly fought with it going all three sets, with Gill and Burke just managing to scrape through with the win and take home the glory.
Final: 2-1 (21-4, 15-21, 15-8)
Under 16 - Youth Girls
Mirelle Smith (AUS/NSW) and Yasmin Ramos (AUS/NSW) battled through a tough semi final which took them all the way to a final and third set before coming away with the win 2-1 (23-25, 21-9, 15-7).
Luckily for the dynamic duo, their gold medal match against Gabrielle Dahms (AUS/ACT) and Madison Blakey (AUS/ACT) wasn't as tightly contested as they managed to win in two sets and walk away with the gold.
Final: 2-0 (21-19, 21-11).
Under 17 - Youth Boys
Hudson Clark (AUS/NSW) and Sam Garvin (AUS/NSW) battled a tightly contested final against Jett rocker-Graham (AUS/NSW) and Killian Donovan (AUS/NSW).
The game could have really gone either way with each set coming down only a handful of points with the decider being a difference of only three points. The talent on showcase was high with both teams having a strong future in the sport.
Final: 2-1 (22-20, 15-21, 15-12)
Under 17 - Youth Girls
Anna Le Blang (AUS/NSW) and Jessica Hunter (AUS/NSW) had a great showing over the weekend showcasing great speed and strategy in their team structure and play.
The duo dominated their semi-final in two sets that weren't close (21-5, 21-14) and headed into the final oozing confidence.
They matched up against Amanda Uren (AUS/ACT) and Emily Benson (AUS/ACT) who were also coming off a strong showing 2-0 (21-14, 21-12).
Le Blang and Hunter proved too much however dispatching their opposition in two very close sets, both coming down to the wire, they duo stepped up when needed and it pushed them to obtain the illustrious gold.
Final: 2-0 (21-15, 21-18)
Under 21 - Youth Boys
Andrew Olson (AUS/NSW) and Charlie Beard (AUS/NSW) secured the gold medal in a convincing fashion against Luke Clark (AUS/NSW) and Tyson Dagenais (AUS/NSW).
The match ran two sets that were both close decided by no less than six points, it was the winning duo's ability to remain calm under pressure that allowed them to convert the final winning points of the match.
Final: 2-0 (21-14, 21-17)
Under 21 - Youth Girls
Lara Limbrick (AUS/NSW) and Mali Towers (AUS/NSW) punctuated the great event with the most intense matchup of the day against Lucia Zarak (AUS/ACT) and Mei Doan Herlihy (AUS/ACT).
The finals match was the definition of a 'nail-biter' with really nothing separating the two sides.
The first set Limbrick and Towers managed to secure 21-19 after a back and forth throughout.
The final winning set just kept on going however, with both teams passing the 21 point mark deadlocked, after a big final push Limbrick and Towers secured the 27-25 win.
It was an excellent display of the sport at it's best and both sides should be very proud.
Final: 0-2 (19-21, 25-27)
The future of the sport of beach volleyball is looking bright and all the athletes who participated over the weekend should be proud.
Good luck to all the athletes moving on to the Australian Youth Beach Volleyball Championships in Coolangatta later this year.