WAIS scholarship athletes Cole Durant and Casey Grice were pipped in the final of the Australian Beach Volleyball Championships at Surfers Paradise in three thrilling sets.
Victorian pair Josh Court and Damien Schumann earned a third consecutive title for the Australian summer last weekend – but not before surviving a stern test of their credentials in the gold medal match.
Court and Schumann saved two match points to beat the West Australians 18-16 in the deciding set, to add to the titles they recently claimed at the South Australian and Queensland Championships in recent weeks.
Durant and Grice had earlier trumped the former Australian number one combination of Chris McHugh and Isaac Kapa, in a three set semi-final that went deep (21-19) into the third.
Facing an in-form combination in the final, the WA pair knew they’d have a battle on their hands and rallied from a set down to win the second, before earning two Championship points in the deciding set.
The Victorians held firm and went on to round out a 21-13, 16-21, 16-18 win.
Durant told his social media followers that “unforced errors” had led to the narrow miss but promised to bounce back strongly.
“I’m proud of the pure grit and heart we played with. Thank you for the love and support from all of you and I promise to keep growing, working hard and being better,’ he said via his Instagram account.
The talented duo remain in the hunt for a Rio berth, with the Australian Olympic Committee expected to announce Australia’s beach volleyball team in July.
