Teams backed by the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment initiative demonstrated outstanding performance at the AVC Beach Tour in Pingtung, Chinese Taipei, securing an impressive four out of six available medals. Australian duos were particularly dominant, clinching three of these coveted awards. The men`s final was an all-Australian contest, featuring D`Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse against Ben Hood and Joshua Howat. In the women`s event, Jasmine Fleming and Stefanie Fejes emerged as champions. Japan, another nation benefiting from the empowerment program, earned a women`s bronze medal with Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami. Thailand`s Charanrutwadee Patcharamainaruebhorn and Woranatchayakorn Phirachayakrailert secured the women`s silver, while Logan Jon Mister and Andrew Scott Johnson from the Northern Mariana Islands completed the men`s podium with a bronze.
Impact of FIVB Empowerment Program
The success achieved by these nations clearly underscores the positive influence of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment. Volleyball Australia`s beach volleyball division has received significant coaching support, totaling USD 378,000, for its national teams. Similarly, the Japan Volleyball Association`s beach volleyball department has benefited from USD 84,000 in coaching assistance. Both national team pairs have been diligently training under the expert guidance of American coach Steve Anderson.
Men`s Tournament Highlights
In the men`s competition, D`Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse delivered a flawless performance, navigating the entire tournament without dropping a single set across six matches to claim the gold. Their compatriots, Ben Hood and Joshua Howat, also had an exceptional run, reaching the final with five consecutive wins. In the semifinals, Hood and Howat defeated Logan Jon Mister and Andrew Scott Johnson of the Northern Mariana Islands 2-0 (21-17, 21-16). Meanwhile, Potts and Pearse advanced by overcoming Japan’s Takumi Takahashi and Jumpei Ikeda in a hard-fought 2-1 battle (21-17, 16-21, 15-12). The all-Australian gold medal match saw Potts and Pearse narrowly defeat Hood and Howat 2-0 (21-19, 21-19). For the bronze, Mister and Johnson secured a decisive 2-0 victory (21-15, 21-15) against Takahashi and Ikeda.
Women`s Tournament Highlights
Australia’s Jasmine Fleming and Stefanie Fejes also enjoyed an undefeated campaign in the women’s tournament, winning all five of their matches in straight sets. In their semifinal, the second-seeded Australian duo secured a 2-0 (21-18, 21-11) victory over third-seeded Asami Shiba and Reika Murakami of Japan, who had also maintained an unblemished record until that point. In the gold medal showdown, Fleming and Fejes masterfully defeated Thailand’s fifth-seeded Charanrutwadee Patcharamainaruebhorn and Woranatchayakorn Phirachayakrailert 2-0 (21-19, 21-15). The Thai pair had previously caused an upset in their semifinal, beating top-seeded Australians Georgia Johnson and Elizabeth Alchin 2-0 (21-15, 21-14). Notably, the two sets lost in the final were the only ones the Thai team conceded throughout the entire tournament. In the bronze medal match, Shiba and Murakami secured their place on the podium by defeating Johnson and Alchin 2-1 (21-13, 21-17).
The AVC Tour stop in Chinese Taipei saw significant participation, with a total of 24 men’s teams and 21 women’s teams representing 14 different national federations.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood