MId-Atlantic Volleyball digs in for First Rites of Summer tourney

Mid-Atlantic Volleyball hosted its First Rites of Summer tournament May 14 and 15 in Rehoboth Beach. The tourney featured 100 teams, with marquee games in women’s and men’s doubles in the AAA or Open division.

Many of the seasoned players have been coming to Rehoboth Beach for tournaments at the beginning and end of the season for more than 30 years. The MAV will host a second event, Mayor’s Cup or Last Rites of Summer, just after Labor Day.

Businesses in Rehoboth Beach and surrounding areas have benefited from the events since the tournaments began in 1985.  “Unbeknownst to most, the roots of beach volleyball run deep in our community,” said Andy Gitaitis of Sierra Moon Surf & Skate in Rehoboth Beach. “The Mid-Atlantic tournaments are rich in tradition and have a positive impact on our local economy.”

The women’s AAA final May 14 was a match between two talented teams where sisters Madie and Sarah Wood of Pennsylvania came away with the victory.  The impressive second-place finishers in this top division for the women were Kelly Vieria of Prince Frederick, Md., and Sunny Snyder of Ocean City, Md. The other two outstanding semifinal teams were Christine Schlegelmilch of Vienna, Va., and Jenny Sherwood of Washington D.C., plus the Ehlers sisters, Camryn and Raychel, of Dagsboro.

In men’s doubles AAA, Cameron Rodrigues and Carson Barnes held off Jeremy Brown and Casey Minard to take the title for this highest men’s level division. 

Other noteworthy players in the men’s AAA division were Jarod Pichler of York, Pa., who proved to be a formidable spiker, and Paul Malinauskas of Towson, Md. (teaming with Justin Fowler), who exhibited a variety of winning techniques like finesse roll shots and soft hands for setting. In pool play, Malinauskas and his partner Justin Fowler of Washington, D.C., had the early lead against the ultimate AAA men’s champions but in the end lost the game.  

Men’s doubles AAA level had two pools of five teams per pool, all of whom were impressive sand players and skilled athletes.  The other two teams who made it to the semifinal playoffs but did not advance to the finals were Frederick/Vincent and Pichler/Schaeffer. 

The May 15 matches included juniors 12 and under, juniors 16 and under, juniors 14 and under, and juniors 18 and under. There were fun and competitive coed teams of six, coed doubles teams and also coed triples teams. In the marquee sand courts of coed doubles AAA (aka open division), Rodrigues showed his dominance by defeating the team of Sunny Snyder and Jarrod Vincent.  Rodrigues teamed up with local player Elaina Millaway, 14, from Greenwood, to win the finals 21-18. Teams also making the semifinals but falling short were Tyler Coupe of Rehoboth Beach, Logan Shuttleworth of Lewes, Justin Fowler of Washington, D.C., and Jessica Wang of Gaithersburg, Md. 

MAV’s beach tournament will return to Rehoboth Beach Sept. 24-25.