Tilley bounces back with Waikato win

FINALISTS: Winners and runners-up from the Waikato Beach Volleyball Open are (from left) Melissa Ruru, Danielle Quigley, Morgan Seymour, Rene Kapa, Daryl Lewis, Griffin Muller, former Gisborne woman Julia Tilley and Alice Bain. Tilley and Bain beat Ruru and Quigley 21-18, 21-14 in the final. Picture by Volleyball NZ/Julie Fitz-Gerald

FORMER Gisborne woman Julia Tilley made up for the disappointment of missing out on the Commonwealth Games with victory in the Waikato Beach Volleyball Open at the weekend.

Campion College old girl Tilley and partner Alice Bain defeated Danielle Quigley and Melissa Ruru 21-18, 21-14 in the final of the tournament held at Lake Karapiro Beach Volleyball Centre.

The winning duo did not drop a set throughout the tournament although were pushed in the first set of the final, and in a couple of sets in earlier games.

The Waikato open was the second event of the Volleyball New Zealand National Beach Tour.

The first was the New Zealand championships in Mount Maunganui where Tilley and Bain were beaten 18-21, 12-21 by Shaunna Polley and Kelsie Wills in the final.

Polley and Wills were named in the New Zealand team for the Commonwealth Games the week after the champs.

The Volleyball NZ national tour continues this weekend with the Mount Maunganui Open, followed by the New Zealand open at Mairangi Bay from January 26 to 28 and the Oceania Beach Volleyball Tour back at the Mount from February 9 to 11.

On her Julia Tilley- NZL Beach Volleyball Player Facebook page Tilley said: “After being in the top NZL team for the past six years it is obviously super disappointing missing out on wearing the fern in April at the Commonwealth Games.

“Thank you for all those who have followed and supported me over the last year while I tried to achieve this goal. What a year it has been.

“Massive shout out to our amazing coach Mike Dudson (wisest person I know) and to our sponsors for making touring possible. Congrats to Shaunna and Kelsie for grinding it out to get the spot.”