Skaha Lake hosted several of B.C. and Canada’s top beach volleyball players in a two-day pro tournament.
Team’s included last years senior women’s national champions Megan and Nicole McNamara, the 17-year-old twins, who helped the South Delta Sun Devils win a high school provincial championship in Penticton last December and have signed with UCLA’s Sand program. They won the tournament on the women’s side as they defeated Joanna Braun and Kumiko Chow, 2-0. The tournament also had 24 men’s teams.
Local Penticton athletes who competed with a few Pen High current and past grads were Logan Mend, Cor Dewaal, Tanner Johnson, Mike Dyson and Keirsten Mend.
Men’s final Ryan Gandy and Dave Beleznay defeat Stephen Nash and Ben Feist 18-16 in the third set. Johnson and Dewaal tied for 21st, while Mend and his Brian Hiebert of Vancouver tied for fifth.
This was the third Volleyball BC Pro Series event of the summer where athletes attempt to win money and points. This is the only one of two tournaments run outside of the Lower Mainland (the other one is in Parksville).
The Okanagan Volleyball Association is hosting the first youth Beachfest series event next weekend in Penticton. Youth athletes can register online through Volleyball BC. There are also beach camps for youth and adults running July at the Skaha courts. For more information, contact Volleytech beach coach Paul Mend at mend team@shaw.ca.
