Exciting end for the CROCS VSA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour

Durban, South Africa January 10, 2008-: The final leg of the R40 000 CROCS VSA PRO Beach Volleyball Tour ended at the Suncoast Beach arena in Durban, South Africa in very windy conditions. Unfazed by the poor weather the top seeds thrilled and excited the handful of spectators with scintillating beach volleyball action seldom seen on our shores.

The African continent’s number one pairing of Casey Augostides and Patrik Flisberg of Cape Town finished a dismal 4th when they were edged out by the tall and strongly built German team of Martin Peiske and Ewe Masurek in the bronze medal match.

Earlier in the day Rorich and Goldschmidt brushed aside strong challenges from the fired up German duo in the first semi-final encounter to set themselves up for a titanic battle in the final against the more experienced Hodge and Pocock who defeated Casey and Patrik in the other semi-final.

However, making their debut as South Africa’s newest beach volleyball pairing, Gershon Rorich (Johannesburg) and his SA national indoor teammate, Grant Goldschmidt

(Cape Town) were crowned champions when they defeated seasoned campaigners, Dave Hodge and Colin Pocock ( Johannesburg) in straight sets ( 21-16; 21-17).

According to volleyball pundits a team that quickly reverts to the basics and stays focused in windy conditions are sure to emerge victorious.

The old adage rang true for Rorich and Goldschmidt whose solid basic game plan gave them a runaway (11-6) lead in the wind swept opening set.

Hodge and Pocock saw a change in fortunes when they took their foot off the pedal to slow the pace of the game and concentrate on mixing deft touches into open spaces with the occasional power hits. Refusing to press the panic button, Rorich, the 2004 Athens beach volleyball Olympian stepped up a gear to capture the set with a (21-16) score line.

Continuing with their winning ways, Rorich and Goldschmidt snatched a blistering

(21-17) win to reach the podium as the CROCS VSA PRO Beach Volleyball Tour gold medallists.



By Donovan Nair, South Africa Volleyball Federation Press Officer