Beach volleyball is coming back to Prince Albert. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Hands in the sand

Beach volleyball starting up this week

Jul 5, 2020 | 10:00 AM

It took a while, but volleyball players can finally get their hands back in the sand as beach volleyball leagues will return to Prince Albert. Starting on July 13, junior and adult leagues will start their programs at the sand courts near the Alfred Jenkins Field House.

“We didn’t think we had a chance to play. But with the province re-opening, we’re going to have the opportunity to give our athletes a chance to participate,” said Rene Quintal, longtime coach at the club and high school level with the St. Mary Marauders.

Quintal said that beach volleyball is a great way for youngsters to learn and hone their skills. With fewer players on the court, that means that beach volleyball players have to do a little bit of everything and take care of all six staples of the game—passing, setting, spiking, blocking, digging, and serving.

“The benefits of playing beach volleyball over indoor volleyball is huge for skill development for athletes,” Quintal said. “They have to be able to perform all six skills. So having lots of interest in playing in the outdoors is a good thing for our volleyball community.”

The Prince Albert Volleyball Association is following the Return to Play protocols put together by Sask Volleyball. The game will very much be the same, but will include some extra measures like regular sanitation of the volleyball and measures in place to ensure physical distancing.

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“We’re trying to social distance. We’ll have fewer kids on the court at a time, we’re going to be sanitizing the balls,” Quintal said. “We’re going to limit physical contact and high fives. Basically, we’re still going to be playing the game with all the skills, but we’re going to socially distance as much as possible.”

Games are from Monday-Thursday, running each week until Aug. 20. Registration will be accepted until July 10. More information can be found here.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW