Beach volleyball has gained popularity among Mississippi colleges, with several institutions establishing teams to compete in regional and national tournaments. Notable schools, such as the University of Southern Mississippi, have really began to embraced beach volleyball as a competitive college sport. With one tournament already done in October, the women’s beach volleyball team is starting their consistent tournament play this weekend.
Beach volleyball differs from indoor volleyball in its playing surface, as it is played on sand. One of the biggest differences is the team sizes. Beach volleyball will feature two players per team, versus indoor volleyball’s six. The pair aspect of beach volleyball emphasizes individual skill and teamwork in a more open and spacious environment.
The Golden Eagles will compete in the AVCA Central Zone Qualification Tournament this weekend in Huntsville, Ala. Alongside the Southern Miss pairs, schools like Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia State, Mercer, North Alabama, Southeastern, Tulane, UAB and UT Martin will be sending their own pairs.
The games will start bright and early tomorrow at 8 a.m. and will last until 6 p.m. Day two of the tournament is similarly scheduled, running from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The top three winning pairs in the bid division will earn a bid to the AVCA Pairs National Championship in Huntsville, Ala., scheduled for Nov. 15-17.
Best of luck to the Golden Eagle pairs competing, and to watch live and follow along click here:
https://southernmiss.com/sports/bvb/schedule
