SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Red Rock Beach Volleyball Club teams are proving P.E.I. players can compete with the best players in the region.
The Island-based club’s most recent showing on the Atlantic Beach Tour was highlighted by eight of 16 teams posting top-four finishes in four separate age divisions at Parlee Beach in Shediac, N.B.
The 16-under category featured an all-Red Rock final between the evenly-matched teams of Monica Gollaher and Marie Fogarty taking on Ella Hickey and Seven McHatten. Gollaher and Fogarty eventually prevailed in a tiebreaking third set.
Undefeated
Gollaher and Fogarty, who are Charlottetown natives, are undefeated in 2019 tour play, boasting a record of 17-0 (won-lost). It marked the third gold-medal victory on the Atlantic tour in 2019 for Gollaher and Fogarty, who also won the Summerside and Halifax tournaments and have their sights set on the Atlantic championships in Shediac on Aug. 3 and 4.
“It’s exciting to see the hard work that these teams put in at practice actually come to life,” said Red Rock coach Laura Ready. “Our teams have created some talk around the Atlantic beach volleyball scene and have become the teams to beat.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing them play at Atlantics and nationals in Toronto (Aug. 15 to 18).”
Gollaher and Fogarty credit their success to “a strong chemistry as a team” and they really feel like they’re “on the same wavelength” on the court.
Also at Parlee Beach, Red Rock teams performed well in 14-under girls. Ryanna Ryan/Alexa Dyment finished second, Victoria Zakem/Maggie Campbell were third while Jessica Thibeau/Maya MacEwen had a fourth-place showing.
In 18-under boys’ action, Stuart Ferguson/Noah Zellin-Opps had a second-place finish and Morgan Caseley/Daniel Ross were third.
Julia Henry/Morgan White came fourth in 18-under girls’ play.