Beach volleyball champs defy storms on Mount Maunganui's Main Beach

Kelsie Wills flying high at Mount Main Beach. PHOTO/JULIE FITZGERALD

The 2018 New Zealand beach volleyball national champions were crowned in a sensational tournament on Mount Maunganui's Main Beach last weekend.

The Volleyball New Zealand National Beach Championships saw the country's top athletes competing for national honours and a chance to put their name on the board for Commonwealth Games selection.

Despite a severe storm causing havoc around the country the weather mostly settled for the championships, although high winds forced Friday's scheduled men's Commonwealth Games trial matches to be postponed to Sunday.

Waikato's Shaunna Polley and partner Kelsie Wills were awarded the 2018 women's title with a win against Bay of Plenty locals Julia Tilley and Alice Bain in the women's final.

Polley and Wills took a 0-2 win over silver medallists Tilley and Bain with a close 18-21 first set and 12-21 second set to secure the national championship title once again.

The bronze medal playoff was abandoned and third equal was awarded to Melissa Ruru and Danielle Quigley, and Francesca Kirwan and Olivia MacDonald.

Commonwealth Games hopefuls Rene Kapa and Morgan Seymour snatched the men's title in a tight battle against Tom Hartles and Mike Watson.

In the battle of the Bay of Plenty locals Kapa and Seymour took the first set 16-21 before Hartles and Watson fought back with their own 16-21 set win. In a thrilling final set Kapa and Seymour nudged out their opponents with a 13-15 victory.

Third equal went to Ben and Sam O'Dea and Johann Timmer and Thomas Reid.

The Volleyball NZ National Beach Tour and men's Commonwealth Games trial continues this weekend with the Waikato Beach Volleyball Open at the Mighty River Domain at Lake Karapiro.

The Waikato Open also features several international entries including from Denmark and America.

The tournament begins on Friday and sees a 16-team main draw with pool games, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals concluding Sunday.

For results, more information and to watch the finals live visit volleyballnz.org.nz.