Manhattan Beach’s Presley Forbes reunited with partner Dani Barton of Salt Lake City, Utah, to win gold in the Girls 16-and-under division. The duo rapidly improved after eking out a close game in the first round of polo play.
“Dani is just just getting used to the deep sand here in Hermosa,” Forbes said after their second win of the day. “The sand courts in Utah are pretty shallow but we expect to have a great season.”
Forbes, whose mother played volleyball, said she has been around beach volleyball since she was a baby. She has been earning medals since she began playing in the 10U division.
A high school sophomore who also plays for Mira Costa’s indoor team, Forbes sees her future on the sand court.
“I’m hoping to win as many tournaments a possible this summer including the Cal Cup, Best of the Beach and the Junior Olympics,” Forbes said. “I’d like to get committed to a college for sand volleyball and go from there.”
Forbes won bronze at the AAU Los Angeles Open on March 22 and is coming off a successful 2014 season when she medaled seven times with various partners including winning gold in the 15U division at the Junior Beach National Championships. She also finished fourth in the Best of the Beach tournament and competed on the pro circuit at the Association of Volleyball Players (AVP) Manhattan Beach Open and Salt Lake City Open.
Forbes’ Mira Costa teammate Pippa Monk-Heidrich won silver at the Spring Classic with teammate Jamie McQuarrie of San Diego.
After winning gold in the Girls 14U division at the Los Angeles Open, Redondo Beach’s Kyla Diog moved up a level to help her beach game which she has been playing for three years. Standing 5 feet, 11 1/2 inches, the 8th grader is also an accomplished indoor volleyball player.
“There’s tougher competition in the 16s which will only make me a better player,” Doig said. “I don’t have a set partner yet and am still experimenting but I plan on working hard this summer and winning a lot of tournaments including the Cal Cup in the 14s
Doig said she plans to make the varsity indoor team at Redondo Union High School in the fall and play for Tommy Chaffins.
“I’m looking forward to playing with Norene (Iosia) who is the best setter i the country right now,” Doig said. “It would be amazing to hit off of her”
The Manhattan Beach duo of Memphis Glasgow and Rochelle Scott won silver medals in the Girls 14U division
South Bay athletes dominated the Girls 12U competition with Manhattan Beach’s Ava Gallien and Leah Kelly defeating Jaclyn LaCroix (Torrance) and Serena Ramirez (San Pedro) in the gold-medal game. Kelly Belardi (Manhattan Beach) and Hope Sabaar (San Pedro) were bronze medalists
In the Boys 14U division, Sebastian Rodriguez (Hermosa Beach) and Johnny Anselmo (Thousand Oaks) defeated the Manhattan Beach duo of Thomas Kretschmer and Luke Snyder for the gold medal. Manhattan Beach’s Adam Phan and Nico Posivak (Los Angeles) finished third.
The AAU Southern Pacific Series began in February with the Winter Classic Open at Dockweiler State Beach where Abril Bustamante (Redondo Beach) and Skylar Caputo (Manhattan Beach) captured gold in the Girls 18U division.
Other local medalists at the Los Angeles Open included Manhattan Beach’s Max Cajuste and Cole Trejo who won gold and Will Campbell (Manhattan Beach) who took home the bronze with partner Johnny Anselmo (Thousand Oaks.
The AAU Southern Pacific Series continues on Sunday, Apr. 26 when the Isidore B. Dockweiler Open is held at Dockweiler State Beach.
The Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League (IBVL) resumes Saturday with top-ranked Mira Costa (6-0, 4-0) continuing its quest for a third straight IBVL championship when the Mustangs take on Bay Division opponents West Torrance (0-6, 0-4) at 9 a.m. before facing rival Redondo (3-3, 2-2) at 11 a.m. in matches played at Will Rogers State Beach.
Redondo, who is looking to get back into the playoff picture, plays South Torrance (3-3, 2-2) at 1 p.m. Palos Verdes (4-2, 2-2) sits in second place in the division and faces South at 10 a.m.
Mira Costa’s depth in beach volleyball continues to grow with the Mustangs fielding three teams this season. Competing in the JV Division, Mira Costa’s first-place JV team is undefeated with a 6-0 record, just ahead of its second-place Frosh-Soph team (5-1). Trailing Mira Cost in the standings are Thousand Oaks (3-3), Palisades Charter (3-3), West Torrance (1-5) and Viewpoint (1-5).
