KEY POINTS:
On Monday morning, Anna Scarlett will step back over her line in the sand.
The world championship netball season is upon us, in the form of a Silver Ferns camp next week, when Scarlett says she will switch into "total netball" mode.
But for this weekend, she will
remain Anna Scarlett the beach volleyballer who is aiming to be part of the first Kiwi team to win a New Zealand open title.
Scarlett, a former national indoor volleyball representative, and Kiwi No 1 Susan Blundell were pushed by compatriots Debbie Hill and Melissa Ruru before winning a thrilling opener 21-18, 19-21, 15-10 at the ASB Tennis centre yesterday.
The 23-year-old Scarlett, who national netball coach Ruth Aitken calls a "free spirit", has been hard to miss in the past few months. Her flamboyant defending brought controversy at the national championships amid grumbles her follow-through was leaving a mark on shooters.
Magazines have also come calling - she's been on the cover of three in two months. And while her netball mates had a traditional Christmas, she again hit the beach volleyball circuit where she is a natural drawcard.
Scarlett and Blundell are a rookie team, an unlikely combination because both are tall. The norm is to have a shorter back-court player, and Scarlett has converted to that position.
Yesterday, she returned at times to the net, where her fantastic leap not only brought successful blocks, but forced Hill and Ruru to take risks.
That and Blundell's class saved the top-seeded pair, who were struggling for combination even though they have made two finals out of four.
Scarlett has continued with her netball workouts during the tour, guided by boyfriend and fitness trainer Craig Harrison.
"I find the volleyball really refreshing and my netball fitness is always at a peak at the beginning of the season," says the West Coast export, who now lives in Auckland.
"But we can't bash ourselves up over what will be a long netball season and it's the volleyball which has suffered as a result. Susan and I have played more than we've trained."
On last year's netball controversy, Scarlett said: "Top athletes have to have a certain confidence and I have that ... But I am an emotional, intense person and I found it upsetting to suddenly face negative comments.
"It was blown out of proportion but ... luckily, I had a very good support team around me.
"I have a very aerial game and don't have the ability to hold my ground. But I never go out there to intentionally injure anyone. I attempt to get out of the way as the rules say you have to do."
On the subject of media appearances, Scarlett said she loved being on Game of Two Halves, especially for the on-set camaraderie. "With those blokes, I have to do a lot of listening," she laughs.
But she shudders seeing her face peering back from news stands.
"People do that double take - they look at the magazine then look at me," she says, half cringing.
"Do I like it? Yes and no. It's part of promoting my sports."
As for the beach volleyball title hopes, "Susan and I have the ability but we will both have to turn up with our best performances".
