DREW HOVEY
Emerson, Ga.
One of the world’s largest sport complexes holds inaugural collegiate sand clash and bash this weekend.
The first annual Collegiate Sand Clash and Bash was held
this Saturday at the LakePoint Sporting Community, one of the world’s largest
sporting destinations.
Tournament
LakePoint, along with its partner Rally Volleyball, hosted
the exhibition in efforts to support sand volleyball as the fastest growing
sport in NCAA history. The tournament consists of of 30 teams from schools such
as Georgia State University and Florida State University (both of whom are
ranked among the Top 10 U.S. sand programs),
as well as Louisiana State University, the University of South Carolina, and
University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Admission is free, and the tournament provides an array of
things to do. Games are constantly being played on one of the 10 sand courts
provided. Not all courts are used, and one is designated as a kids play area,
as well as others that are open for teams to warm up on. The pavilion contains
multiple TVs airing the football games, and has an upstairs lounge with corn
hole and a good view of the tournament.
Many of the players’ parents came out to support their
children in the exhibition. “It’s just great to see my daughter play,
especially in a tournament of this caliber,” said Chad Kessler, the father of
one of the players from Louisiana State University.
Each player receives a free fruit basket from Edible
Arrangements, one of the tournament’s many sponsors, and the winners of the
tournament receive a trophy. Other sponsors for the tournament include
Coca-Cola, LakePoint KIA, Life University, Rox Volleyball, PT Solutions, and
Mikasa.
Sand volleyball season starts in spring, so the tournament
provides a good opportunity for teams to track the progress of their training.
“It gives them a chance to see how their training is going in the fall, and how
their pairing is going, so that they can tailor things as they get into the
full swing of the season,” said Colleen Craig, CEO of Ralley Vollyball.
About LakePoint
LakePoint Sporting Community is currently under construction,
aiming to expand 5 million square feet along its 1,400+ acres. It is
located
on
Old Allatoona Road, right off of I-75, not far from Red Top Mountain and Lake
Allatoona.
It was created to be the paradigm of a travel sports
tournament experience. When construction is complete, the community will be
equipped with venues for over 40 different sports and 29 on site hotels,
restaurants, a movie theater, and much more.
The sand volleyball venue has 10 courts with LED lighting
and has hosted numerous pro-tour volleyball events. It also has a two-story
open-air pavilion with TVs and Wi-Fi included. “This facility is absolutely
incredible,” said Ben Fitzgerald, a local volleyball player. “You cannot find a
sand court like this anywhere else except for major beaches.”
Sand Volleyball as an Emerging Sport
Sand volleyball has been officially deemed the fastest
growing sport. Over 40 NCAA colleges and universities have sand volleyball
programs. The NCAA is now recognizing its popularity, and is actively engaging
in transitioning it to a championship sport status as of January 2014.
It is expected to be a NCAA sport as of 2016.
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