2018-04-07 05:26:00 CEST
Pata/Matauatu return like they’d never been away
Miller (right) and Linline made a winning return to the beach on Saturday. Photocredit: FIVB
Day two of the historic beach volleyball competition at the 2018 Commonwealth Games was a good one for returning World Tour stars Miller Pata and Linline Matauatu.
Vanuatu’s number one beach volleyball stars were last seen on the Beach Volleyball Major Series in Hamburg back in June 2016, but returned to action Down Under after Miller’s return from having her first child, Tommy.
Now reunited, the islanders hold outstanding claims of a medal on their return to the beach and underlined their podium place credentials with a straightforward 21-9, 21-12 win over Singapore in their Pool C clash.
In the opening match of the morning session, Trinidad and Tobago won the clash of the Caribbean, as Daneil Williams and 17-year-old teammate Daynte Stewart saw off St Kitts and Nevis’ St Clair Hodge and Shawn Seabrookes 21-14, 21-14.
Stewart, the youngest competitor in the beach competition, showed no signs of nerves as he and Williams – who entertained the Vienna crowd at the World Championships last year – excelled on Center Court.
“I’ve played volleyball for as long as I remember,” the teenager told us afterwards. “My parents played volleyball and only last year I switched to beach volleyball.
“It’s great playing with Daneil, he’s a legend of the sport in Trinidad. He’s probably the one player I look up to. I’d love to emulate what he’s done in the sport. I’m really looking forward to making a career in beach volleyball.”
In the final match of the morning session, there was another straight sets win, this time for New Zealand’s Shauna Polley and Kelsie Wills.
The Kiwis were too hot for Rwanda’s Charlotte Nzayisenga and Denyse Mutatsimpunda, as they recorded a 21-14, 21-16 victory in Pool C.
Remember you can read about all things Commonwealth Games on our website as we continued to cover beach volleyball’s debut at the Games.