Some find volleyball more challenging in the sand than on a gym floor.
“Same rules, but it’s a completely different sport,” Bradenton resident Logan Finneran said. “I put all my might into a jump and get an inch off the ground.”
Finneran moved from Illinois to Bradenton four months ago with her friend Elise Monroe. Both women played indoor volleyball in college.
On Sept. 11, they were learning how to maneuver through the sand at Waterside Place.
Harmony resident Dan Elmaleh helps organize Sunset Volleyball every Wednesday at Waterside from 6 to 7 p.m. for MVP Sports.
About 50 people showed up to play pickup, which Elmaleh said was a small crowd. On a busy night, well over 100 play and two grass courts are set up in the adjacent field.
The courts at Waterside will be refreshed just in time for the MVP Sports fall volleyball league that starts on Sept. 19. The nets are being replaced, the lines are being fixed and the sand is being smoothed.
Real estate experts say Lakewood Ranch's lifestyle aspect have kept it more of a sellers market as compared to the rest of Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Bradenton resident Elise Monroe serves.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota resident Rachel Warren has been a member of the MVP Sports volleyball league for three years.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota residents Ashley Migliore and Blake Austin are heading home after playing a set.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
New Bradenton residents Logan Finneran and Elise Monroe are getting used to playing volleyball in the sand. Both played indoor collegiate volleyball.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Bradenton resident Brionna Reese waits for the serve.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Sunset Volleyball is from 6 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday at Waterside Place.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Jules waits patiently for her owner, Giovanni Salvador, to finish playing.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Venice resident David Fenin plays volleyball all over Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota resident Jillian Sureddy is playing volleyball at Waterside Place for the first time on Sept. 11.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Players line up to shake hands after the game.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
A group of late arrivals wait for some courts to clear.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Harmony resident Dan Elmaleh helps organize the volleyball events for MVP Sports.
Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.
