Teams receiving support from the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program secured four of the six medals at the recent AVC Beach Tour event held in Pingtung, Chinese Taipei. Australian duos were notably successful, clinching three of these medals. In an exclusive all-Australian men`s final, D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse emerged victorious over their compatriots Ben Hood and Joshua Howat. The women`s competition saw Jasmine Fleming and Stefanie Fejes claim the top spot. Additionally, Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami from Japan, also beneficiaries of the program, earned the women`s bronze medal. Thailand’s Charanrutwadee Patcharamainaruebhorn and Woranatchayakorn Phirachayakrailert secured the women`s silver, while Logan Jon Mister and Andrew Scott Johnson of the Northern Mariana Islands completed the men`s podium.
Volleyball Australia`s beach volleyball division has been granted a substantial USD 378,000 in FIVB Volleyball Empowerment coach support for their national teams. Similarly, the Japan Volleyball Association`s beach volleyball department has received coach assistance amounting to USD 84,000. Both nations` teams have significantly benefited from the expertise of American coach Steve Anderson.
In the men’s tournament, top-seeded D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse demonstrated exceptional dominance, winning all six of their matches without dropping a single set. Their fellow Australians, sixth-seeded Ben Hood and Joshua Howat, also had an impressive streak, reaching the final with five consecutive wins. In the semifinals, Potts and Pearse decisively defeated Logan Jon Mister and Andrew Scott Johnson of Northern Mariana Islands 2-0 (21-17, 21-16), while Hood and Howat overcame Japan’s Takumi Takahashi and Jumpei Ikeda in a close 2-1 (21-17, 16-21, 15-12) match.
The intense men`s gold-medal showdown concluded with Potts and Pearse securing a narrow but hard-fought 2-0 (21-19, 21-19) victory against Hood and Howat.
Logan Jon Mister and Andrew Scott Johnson confidently swept the bronze medal match against Takahashi and Ikeda with a 2-0 (21-15, 21-15) win, claiming their spot on the podium.
The women`s tournament witnessed Jasmine Fleming and Stefanie Fejes maintaining a perfect campaign, winning all five of their matches in straight sets. The second-seeded Australian pair achieved a 2-0 (21-18, 21-11) victory over third-seeded Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami of Japan in their semifinal, a match against a Japanese duo who had also reached this stage undefeated in sets.
In the women`s final, Fleming and Fejes delivered a commanding 2-0 (21-19, 21-15) performance against Thailand’s fifth-seeded Charanrutwadee Patcharamainaruebhorn and Woranatchayakorn Phirachayakrailert. The Thai team had previously caused an upset by defeating top-seeded Australians Georgia Johnson and Elizabeth Alchin 2-0 (21-15, 21-14) in their semifinal. Remarkably, the only two sets the Thai team lost throughout the entire tournament were in this climactic final match.
Shiba and Reika further solidified their strong showing by defeating Johnson and Alchin 2-1 (21-13, 21-17) in the third-place playoff, proudly earning the bronze medal.
The AVC Tour stop in Chinese Taipei saw participation from a total of 24 men’s teams and 21 women’s teams, representing 14 different national federations, highlighting the widespread engagement in the event.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood