Cook Islands pair Twina Tangirere and Tuaanaore Mitchell will play in the playoffs today against Australia. TEITIMOANA TAIRI/26101513
A back injury has forced Cook Islands beach volleyball player Brendon Heath and his partner, Atatoa Herman, to withdraw from the Oceania Zonal Beach Volleyball Championship at the Nikao Beach Centre.
The pair withdrew from two matches the previous day after Heath was unable to continue, choosing to pull out to avoid aggravating his injury.
According to Cook Islands Volleyball Federation (CIVF) beach commissioner, Tiare Karaponga, the Cook Islands men’s team will not progress further in the tournament.
The second Cook Islands open men’s pair, Raitiavatea Herman and Ryan Nicholson, played Tuvalu yesterday, winning the first set before Tuvalu took the next two sets to win the match.
However, the open women’s pair, Twina Tangirere and Tuaanaore Mitchell has progressed to the playoffs and is set to face Australia’s top team today following their win against Naoero on Monday.
The team sits fourth in a pool of five teams, with its performances showing encouraging progress against international opposition.
Karaponga said the women’s players had played well and were getting closer to the standard of international teams.
She also highlighted the performance of the under-20 women’s team against Australia’s top side, saying the young players gave their opponents a good contest. One of the Cook Islands U20 players is just 13 years old and is the youngest in the federation.
For U20 women’s player Elizabeth Akaruru, competing at the championship has also been an opportunity to learn a new form of the sport.
Akaruru, who plays alongside Te Kura Tamangaro, said this was her first beach volleyball competition, having primarily played indoor volleyball.
She described the transition to beach volleyball as a big adjustment, explaining that with only two players on the court, each player must put in more work and energy while making smart decisions during play.
The pair faced Guam the previous day. Akaruru said Guam were difficult opponents, with strong receiving and challenging serves, but the Cook Islands pair maintained their intensity throughout the match.
Despite the challenges, she was excited and grateful for the opportunity to compete.
The tournament, which has brought together teams from the Cook Islands and nine visiting nations – American Samoa, Australia, Guam, Kiribati, Naoero, New Zealand, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu – will conclude today.