SW Boys coach, Dan Mrowiec gives us an insight into working with the Southwest U17 Boys’ at this years Interregional Beach Championships.
Two squads. Two days. One incredible weekend of beach volleyball.
Going into this year’s IRB tournament, we had the good fortune of bringing two U17 boys’ squads, each made up of two pairs, ready to test themselves against the country’s best.
Southwest 1 consisted of Pair A: Tali Rees (Weymouth VC) and Felix Summers (Wessex VC), and Pair B: Jake Chedgy (Wessex VC) and Ed Killen (Wessex VC). For Southwest 2, Theo Clifford (Bedminster VC) and Sam Button (Exeter Storm) were selected as Pair A, and Callum Shamerza (Wessex VC) and Jaden Valdes (Wessex VC) for Pair B.
What followed was two days of gritty, golden-set filled volleyball that I will be remember for a very long time.
Day One: Setting the Tone
We started the tournament with both squads drawn into opposite pools, which meant two very different stories were about to unfold at the same time. Southwest 1 (SW1) came out of the gates in ruthless form, winning every single match in their pool to finish on top with a near perfect record. It was the kind of start that sets the tone for a whole tournament; clean, composed, and confident.
Southwest 2 (SW2) had a rockier start. Their very first match of the day was against a tough London squad, and it cost them. But to their credit, the boys regrouped and made sure that one loss didn’t define their day. With only a single defeat that held them up in second and kept them very much in the top draw of the tournament.
Day Two: Knockouts
Day two opened with contrasting fortunes once again. SW1 pool-topping finish earned them a bye straight into the semi-finals. A reward for a flawless day one, but also a test of patience as they watched and supported SW2 fight for their place. And fight they did! SW2 faced a talented Southeast squad in the quarter-final that went all the way to a golden set decider. Under that kind of pressure, nerves and legs both get tested and SW2 came out on top, booking their spot in the semis!
SW1 vs SW2
That result set up a match none of us were quite prepared for: SW1 vs SW2, our own two squads, facing off for a place in the finals. There could only be one winner, and it turned out to be SW1, who fought through to secure their spot in the finals.
But this wasn’t the end of SW2’s tournament, far from it.
Road to the Podium
With the third-place playoff ahead of them, SW2 had to dig deep. It took two gruelling matches against a well-organised Northwest squad, but both pairs delivered when it mattered most, coming out on top in each and securing a well-earned spot on the podium. After the unfortunate match-up of the semi-finals, watching them respond with that level of composure and fight was one of the proudest moments of the weekend.
On the other side of the draw, SW1 had unfinished business as a Southwest grudge match with the same London squad that had beaten SW2 on day one was about to unfold. It was a final that demanded everything: composure, solid communication, and grit that they had shown all tournament. True to form, they delivered, closing it out with a decisive golden set to take the top spot on the podium!
More Than a Result
Eight athletes, two squads, two podium finishes, but honestly, the scoreline was only part of the story. What stood out to me most across the weekend was the support, the camaraderie, and the sportsmanship these boys displayed, not just to the sport, but to each other and to the wider volleyball community they’re part of.
I feel genuinely privileged to have been alongside this squad on their volleyball journey this year, and I can’t wait to keep watching them grow, compete, and push each other and this incredible sport forward.
Proud coach, proud weekend. Onwards to the next one.
Dan Mrowiec
Event photographer Richard Beales was once again was in attendance and has captured some excellent action shots of the SW Boys and Girls teams. Check them out the following SW photo album.
Richard Beales mr_beales@hotmail.com
