Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Sisters dig it that beach volleyball is getting off the ground at colleges

Emily and Bailey Anderson

Mikayla Whitmore

Emily and Bailey Anderson are each committed to play beach volleyball for Arizona State. Both pose for a photo during an interview at Sunset Park in Las Vegas, Nev. on September 21, 2016.

Emily and Bailey Anderson

Emily and Bailey Anderson are each committed to play beach volleyball for Arizona State. Both pose for a photo during an interview at Sunset Park in Las Vegas, Nev. on September 21, 2016. Launch slideshow »

Scoring differences

The structure in college beach volleyball resembles team tennis. It is contested with five pairings in the best of three sets, which are played to 21 points. The tiebreaker third set is played to 15.

Mom had to beg the coach to allow her daughters to join his beach volleyball practices. Sisters Bailey and Emily Anderson, one year apart in age but inseparable, were instantly hooked.

When you’re growing up near the beaches of Maui, after all, many recreation opportunities involve the sand and being outdoors. Despite being just 6 and 5 years old, they were competitive at Aloha Volleyball, which usually starts children at the third-grade level and is considered one of the sport’s top training grounds.

“We set out to do something as a family,” said Brenda Anderson, the girls’ mother. “So they get out to the beach, there’s sand in their ears and in their hair, and they are happy. That was that.”

A decade later, in beachless Las Vegas, the girls are still thriving in the game. Bailey, 17, a senior at Las Vegas Academy, will sign on to play beach volleyball at Arizona State on Nov. 9. The next year, her sister also will join the program.

Arizona State is coached by Brad Keenan, who is married to 2012 and 2016 Olympic beach volleyball medalist April Ross, and has one of the nation’s more established programs. It was launched in 2013; the Pac-12 Conference had its inaugural beach volleyball season last spring.

The Andersons moved back to their native Southern Nevada about four years ago. The beaches of Hawaii have been replaced by the sand courts at Sunset Park and monthly trips to Southern California for tournaments. They also play indoors, but find the finesse of the beach game more appealing. Dealing with the elements — the wind is the great equalizer and causes the ball to do unpredictable things — is a better fit for their analytical nature.

There’s a certain science in game-planning for the two-person beach game. Players have to gauge the elements, determine where to hit the ball in a matter of seconds and constantly communicate with their partner. Indoor is more of a power game, dominated by taller girls who can jump high for kills. Bailey stands 5 feet, 10 inches; Emily is 5-7.

“It’s more strategy and a lot more brain power,” Bailey said of beach volleyball. “And on the beach, it doesn’t hurt when you dive.”

While the Andersons are part of the indoor BBC Las Vegas Volleyball, where Bailey is a setter and Emily, 16, plays libero, most of their energy is geared toward the beach game. They are regulars in events at Hermosa and Huntington beaches hosted by the California Beach Volleyball Association and the USA Volleyball junior beach program, teaming to finish third and sixth in a pair of under-18 events last fall, according to USA Beach Rankings. And this year, Emily was third at the Junior Olympics for her age group.

Tactical difference

The sky ball, or serving the ball high into the air so it’s caught in wind swirls, is effective because dealing with elements like sun and wind is half the challenge of winning a beach volleyball match.

When they started traveling for competition, establishing themselves as quality players wasn’t easy. But with each trip, they improved, which led to pairing with more seasoned partners, advancing deeper in tournaments and eventually catching the eye of college recruiters. The sisters could only be each other’s partner for so long because they fall into different age groups.

“You have to remain positive with each game,” Emily said. “If you lose, you can learn from it.”

The laid-back setting of the beach game — Arizona State’s Pera Club blasts loud music during matches and has food-truck vendors, for instance — is a draw for the sisters. Sure, they are competitive and play to win. But it’s still the game they learned to love one memorable day as toddlers on the beaches of Maui.

“By far, this is my favorite thing to do,” Bailey Anderson said. “There is no way to (describe) the love I have for the sport.”

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