New Zealand Pair Captures Fit to Hit Beach Volley Title at SM By The Bay

Jamil Buergo
Sep 28, 2015
2 min read

The duo of Shauna Polley and Julia Tilley, representing Team Ceres, made a perfect run to capture the title of the inaugural Fit To Hit Beach Volleyball Invitational Tournament held at the Sands, SM By The Bay Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.

The mighty Ceres team beat MamyPoko, composed of Wing Tung To and Yung Yung Koo from Hong Kong, 21-8, 21-8. Polley and Tilley, who used the tournament as preparation for their participation in the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships in Hong Kong, completely dominated the tournament as their opponents failed to win a set over them. Entering into the finals, both teams were undefeated in the elimination round and the semifinals.

To get into the finals, Ceres beat Mane ‘N Tail, 21-14, 21-19. The other semis match featured MamyPoko and Rubbermaid where the former won in three sets, 18-21, 21-14, 21-15.

In the battle for bronze, Team Rubbermaid frustrated the team of Mane ‘N Tail, 23-21, 21-17. The pair from Hong Kong, comprising of Wai Yan Lo and the 17-year old Rachel Tam, took advantage of the several miscues of team Philippines composed of Charo Soriano and Alexa Micek.

Earlier in the classification matches, Luk Teck Hua and Beh Shun Thing of Team BYD Malaysia took 5th place honors as it beat fellow Malaysian team Pasabahce of Low Mei Cing and Nurraini Binti Arriffin. On the other hand, Philips Gold beat Shop TV to get 7th place. It was an all-Filipino battle for 7th as Bea Tan and Fil-Am Lindsay Dowd represented Philips Gold while former San Sebastian Lady Stags Gretchel Soltones and Louann Latigay played for Shop TV.

Fit To Hit is a beach volleyball league organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc., the company behind the Shakey's V-League and Spikers' Turf, and Solar Sports. The tournament ran from September 25 up to 27.

The tournament format has eight teams from four countries (1 for New Zew Land, 2 teams each for Malaysia and Hong Kong, and 3 teams from the Philippines) divided into 2 groups. A group plays a single-rould robin eliminations where the top two teams per group vie in the cross-over semifinals to reach the finals. The bottom two per group will then play in the classification matches.

Group A had Team Ceres of Shaunna Polley and Julia Tilley from New Zealand, Team Pasabahce of Low Mei Cing and Nurraini Binti Arriffin of Malaysia, Team Rubbermaid of Wai Yan Lo and Rachel Tam of Hong Kong, and local team Philips Gold of Bea Tan and Fil-am Lindsay Dowd.

Group B is composed of Team BYD of Luk Teck Hua nad Beh Shun Thing of Malaysia, MamyPoko of Wing Tung To and Yung Yung Koo of Hong Kong, Mane N Tail of Charo Soriano and Alexa Micek from Philippines, and Shop TV's Gretchel Soltones and Lou ann Latigay also from the Philippines.