Beach volleyball to be served up on Island

The South Padre Island Beach Volleyball Labor Day Tournament will be held this weekend at Boomerang Billy’s Beach Bar on South Padre Island.  (Daisy Martinez / Island Breeze)

Volleyball fans will get their share of action this weekend at the South Padre Island Beach Volleyball Labor Day Tournament at Boomerang Billy’s Beach Bar.

This is the 15th year this tournament will be held on the Island, organizers said.

Mike Doggett, one of the organizers and a promoter of the event, said beach volleyball was created in California but that the Island is perfect for the sport.

“It’s fun to play and watch,” he said. “You get a lot of action.”

There will be three divisions in the tournament: men’s, women’s and co-ed, all two-person teams.

“With a two-man team, you always get to touch the ball,” Doggett said. “There’s always something happening.”

Doggett said the tournament will be open to any team that wants to play. There are no age, height or experience requirements.

With people from Houston, Dallas and Austin competing in the tournament, there is a guaranteed opportunity for everyone to test their skills, Doggett said. However, he does expect the tournament to be a “high skill” competition.

Because there is no pre-registration, there is no count of how many teams will compete in the tournament.

“I expect the tournament to flatten out a bit this year due to high gas prices,” Doggett said.

The organizer said he expects about 15 men’s, 8 women’s and 16 co-ed teams to register.

Although all games are fun to watch, Doggett said, usually the men’s competitions get the biggest crowds because they play a more powerful game and can “pound it down.”

“It gives you an adrenaline rush,” he said.

There are several volleyball “hot beds” across the country, such as Missouri, California and Florida. But the Island is not there yet, Doggett said.

“There are just not as many people here,” Doggett said. “Schools down here don’t have boy’s volleyball.”

Teams will be divided into pools according to level of skill and will compete in one-set matches, rally scoring to 21 points.

The first- and second-place winners in each division will receive cash prizes. The third-place winners will receive gift certificates to local restaurants.

Registration for the men’s and women’s divisions will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and at 9 a.m. Sunday for co-ed teams. The registration fee is $20 per player.

Doggett expects the weather to be “great” for the tournament and hopes people will have fun.

“The players are really social with each other and they bring their friends and families to sit on the sidelines,” Doggett said. “It’s a festive tournament.”