Women's Volleyball Hits the Beaches At Wave House

Wave House Breaches the sand-water barrier in San Diego

Wave House San Diego deviated from their wave norm this week and took the plunge into the wild world of land sports. With two volleyball events this week including the first ever Wave House Women's Professional Volleyball Tournament and a spring break volleyball camp for girls ages 13-18, talent soared at the Wave House beach front in Mission Beach.  Spearheaded by Wave House employee and professional beach volleyball player Juliana Evens, the girls spiked and showed off their skills.

Beach and gym volleyball are rapidly growing in San Diego county. With competitive club teams, hours of practice and year round commitments, only the most diligent players survive in this cut throat sport.

Twelve teams of two hit the sand at 8am on Saturday, April 3rd, front and center to Wave House. Matches were pooled and played accordingly, with teams accumulating points depending on the game end spread. After over seven hours of incessant play, four teams found themselves in the semis, spiking to the death. Saralyn Smith and Janele Ruen battled Beth Van Flee and Heather Lowe, while Lauren Mills and Jen Corral competed against Kim McGiven and Juliana Evens. After long rally score games, Saralyn and Janele and Kim and Juliana found themselves dueling to the end in the finals. In the end, Saralyn and Janele took the gold with a score of 21-17 as the sun set over Mission Beach. Some of the girls, including our first ever Wave House Women’s Volleyball Tournament victors, came out to Sound Wave that evening to let loose and relax after a long day of playing.

The next generation of tournament teams showed their diligence and dedication to the sport in a different way. 10 girls from local San Diego high schools spent Tuesday and Wednesday morning of their Spring Break perfecting their skills on the very court the pros tore only a few days prior. With serving, receiving, form and solid contact high on the priority list, the girls and their instructor, Juliana Evens, worked to polish their skills on their days off. Most of the girls enrolled play club volleyball, according to one of the parents nearby. He said, “They really want to stay on top of their game, even when they don’t have to. That’s how dedicated they are.”

With the wild success of these two events, Wave House San Diego has breached the sand – water barrier, thereby incorporating and solidifying volleyball as a new part of the Wave House culture. Volleyball player and Wave House employee Aaron Steele said, “I’m thrilled to finally bridge two of my greatest passions at Wave House. Volleyball is a huge part of the Southern California beach culture, it’s only natural we make it part of our lives here.”

For more photos of both the tournament and the camp, visit Wave House San Diego’s Facebook Page and be sure to watch for future volleyball events.