Defending Varsity Beach Volleyball champions, UWC will be going all out to retain their title when they host this year’s edition of the event and top player Bejancke Della is determined to keep the trophy at the Bellville institution.
UWC finished unbeaten in the 2013 Varsity Beach Volleyball competition and also walked away with three of the four individual awards, with Della being named FNB Player of the Tournament.
“I am looking forward to playing in another Varsity Beach Volleyball competition and it is exciting to know that we [UWC] will be hosting the event. We obviously want to retain out title, that is a non-negotiable but we know it is going to be tough because the other universities will be stepping up their game.
“We will have a lot of supporters because we are the hosts, so that will add extra pressure on our shoulders,” she told varsitysportssa.com.
The UWC team will be made up of Della, newcomer Bassie Eulenda and the 2013 Steers Most Valuable Player Kayla-Lee Provins and the trio have been hard at work at the varsity’s new courts.
“We have been training twice a week on campus, so when it comes to the tournament, it should be easier for us because we know the court and the conditions. But knowing the conditions does not mean it will be a walk in the park for us, we will still need to be at the top of our game to retain the trophy,” she added.
Della has been participating in the National Beach Volleyball Series and finished in a credible sixth place after advancing to the semifinals of the unique Queen of the Beach tournament at Hobie Beach, Port Elizabeth. She was able to play with – and against – the top ladies in the country which she feels has helped her improve her overall skills.
“Playing with the likes of Palesa Masinga – who is the number one ranked female in the country – was amazing because she was very helpful and showed me easier ways of doing things. When you get to partner with the best in the country, all you can do is learn from them.
“The tournament itself was pretty hard though because it was an individual competition, which meant that you never had the same partner throughout the competition. So adjusting to the different personalities and different playing styles was not the easiest but it definitely helped me improve my individual skills,” she stated.
The Varsity Beach Volleyball tournament will take place at UWC from April 22-23.
