Towering Kiwi’s Look To Dominate

January 2007

New Zealand’s tallest ever woman’s pro volleyball team is looking to strike out opposing international competitors attending this summer’s Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.

Long and lean, Team Comvita, Susan Blundell and double silver fernist Anna Scarlet are in good steed to dominate the 2007 Tour being the tallest ever kiwi contingent entered in the Series. Standing at 1.85m, Blundell is the leading #1 woman’s player and only a fraction shorter than counterpart Scarlet who measures in at whopping1.87m. Their combined height and strong athletic skills mean they will be tough competition to beat in the Series Tour that starts 2 January 2007.

Run over five consecutive weekends throughout January, the Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will visit the Coromandel, Wellington, Ohope, Mt Maunganui before climaxing in Auckland for the finals. The Tour finals are limited to 12 teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions comprising leading international teams and top local teams who have qualified from earlier regional events.

Various studies have shown that tall people are more likely to assert themselves and have more success at work, and even earn more money than their smaller counterparts. For example, it has always been a taller candidate who has won 10 out of the last 12 presidential elections in the USA. Height breeds respect and self esteem and it makes sense that in sports tallness is a positive attribute. There is an obvious advantage to height with taller volleyball players having a longer reach and being able to spike balls and put up towering blocks at the net.

With five other top international women’s teams participating at this year’s event, Anna and Susan are by far the tallest and tipped to dominate.

“We are really looking forward to this year’s Tour, there’ll be some tough competition from the internationals but we are feeling confident,” says Susan Blundell.

The tallest female volleyball player known is Ekaterina Gamova, a 26 year old Russian athlete who stands at a whopping 6 foot 9 inches and is a formidable force to be reckoned with on the world circuit.

“We have some great team line ups attending this year’s Tour, both local and international who will challenge our top teams,“ says Dean Wilson, Tour Director.

Now in its twelfth year, the Pro Beach Volleyball Tour attracts thousands of holiday maker spectators and is one of New Zealand’s most popular summer sports.

Crocs is the official footwear sponsor of the 2007 NZ Pro Beach Volleyball Tour.

ENDS

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