Volleyball Beach Bash an overnight success

With the sun setting and a slight breeze blowing, teams huddled together and shouted cheers in preparation for the Beach Bash volleyball tournament 2012, which would last almost an entire night.

The Beach Bash started at 6 p.m. on Friday and lasted until around 6 a.m. Saturday morning, with the championship round beginning at close to 4:30 a.m.

“Our main goal is to promote the women’s volleyball team, and this gives students a great chance to meet them and hang out some,” Beach Bash Event Coordinator Ryan Culkin said.

Ten members of the Liberty Flames women’s volleyball team took part as referees for the games in the tournament.

Four new sandy courts at Campus East was where the tournament took place, providing students a place where they could keep all eyes on the happenings between their friends and the other teams.

“We just came to hang out and watch friends take home the trophy and enjoy the beautiful weather,” said senior Samuel Seaborn. “Maybe even get a little tan.”

The courts were littered with bright colors of pink, red and even neon green. These explosions of colors represented the teams that were excited to compete.

Team CH’YYEEAH was one of the groups that sought the road to victory this year, and certainly showed it through their unity as a team.

“The sand is cold and it’s really intimidating, but we’re doing it for the story,” team CH’YYEEAH’s captain Zachary Boyd said.

Other students had stories of their own to tell, but all with one thing in their thoughts: winning the Beach Bash.

“I’m out here enjoying this because I get to dominate volleyballs into the sand,” said sophomore Austin Smith. “Good food and good times with friends, but hopefully going home as the champions.”

Other students showed excitement to just be in attendance having something to take their minds off of the last few weeks of school.

“I’ve been excited for it all day, and it’s very refreshing and fun,” freshman Alyssa Wheeler said. “It’s a nice break from the upcoming exams.”

Each team was competing for the title of champion of Beach Bash 2012. Prizes for the winning team also included gift certificates from local businesses around Lynchburg, as well as a Mikasa volleyball for each member.

Second place teams would get Mountain Dew duffle bags and third place winners would all get Mountain Dew T-shirts.

Pepsi sponsored the Beach Bash tournament this year, providing the Mountain Dew T-shirts and duffle bags as well as free Mountain Dew on the sidelines.

Sodexo stopped in around 10:30 p.m. to provide free food and drinks to those in attendance.

“We just wanted a good opportunity to use these new state of the art courts and give students an opportunity to do a cool late night activity,” Culkin said.

Culkin also mentioned that a special pre-announcement was being made at the Beach Bash.

“On Wednesday, Club Sports is announcing that there will be a men’s and women’s beach volleyball team for next year,” Culkin said.

As the sun dropped behind the mountain ridge, the air temperature began to drop too. However, that did not stop the teams of students from the pursuit of fun and ultimately winning the tournament.