CBVA August 2025 Club Update

We’re shaping our summer adult training program and want your input! If you’re currently participating in Adult Training classes (not Adult Squads or the Junior Program), please take a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback will help us tailor the schedule and sessions to your preferences and skill level.

Optional bonus: Complete the survey for your chance to win 1 of 2 Five Class Packs!

Meet your CBVA Coaches !
Ever wonder who’s behind all those epic serves and clever plays at Coogee Beach? You’re in luck, our coaching team is not only impressively qualified but also brings heaps of personality and passion to the courts. Here’s a quick peek at some of the faces who make CBVA such a special community.

Want to Learn More?

Feeling inspired? You can read more about each coach, qualifications, training styles, and how to book a session at: CBVA Coaches page. 

https://www.cbva.org.au/coaches/ 

Whether you’re a junior starting your journey or an adult seeking serious, or social-play, there’s a coach eager to help you grow, improve, and share a laugh or two along the way.

We would like to expand our coaching team !

Coogee Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) is seeking a Senior Beach Volleyball Coach to lead training for high-performing adult male and female squads. The role involves designing and delivering advanced training programs, providing technical and tactical instruction, and preparing athletes for local, state, and national competitions.

If you want to know more about the job or know someone interested, please visit the following link:

We all know that nothing at CBVA would be possible without the effort and enthusiasm of our volunteers; but how much do we know about what they actually do and who they are? Most of them are familiar faces at the beach, however there is one particular sub-committee that often operates behind the scenes, working incessantly (and creatively) to keep our assets in good shape for our Members to be able to play 365 days a year (weather permitting).

In this newsletter we’d like to acknowledge the contribution of our very own local MacGyvers, the Batman and Robin of equipment maintenance, the Bo and Luke Duke of volleyball nets mechanics, the ones and only: Jesse and Paul! Over the years they’ve helped maintain and improve our equipment at a minimum cost, and are always quick to intervene when something gets broken or lost.

We’ve asked them a few questions to get to know them a little bit better, in particular what motivates them in supporting the Club so generously. Next time you cross path, make sure you give them a silent nudge of gratitude but most importantly remember: the club’s equipment is everyone’s responsibility, treat it with care <3

What brought you to CBVA?

Jesse

I’ve always loved being on the beach and in the water, surfing, diving, exposed to the elements and soaking it all in. But the surf at Coogee is too sporadic and Maroubra too crowded, so back in 2016 I started looking for a new sport. Beach volleyball looked like fun, so I joined a few training classes, and immediately got addicted

Paul

I liked the Sloppy Joes [aka, the hoodies, if anyone else is as confused as the author] and the only way I could get one was to join the club.

What’s your favourite volleyball related memory?

Jesse

The list of amazing volleyball memories is long, but a few stand out: playing on Christmas Day with my wife Marlies, spotting whales migrating while playing in winter, and once coming back from 15–20 in the second set to win the third against a top team

Paul

The day I got a matching grey Sloppy Joe with the normal blue one. Still have it after ten years.

What do you find most rewarding about volunteering at CBVA and what is your proudest achievement?

Jesse

There’s something satisfying about seeing a well-set-up net. Coming down on the weekend to five courts looking spick and span always makes me happy. My proudest achievement is running the equipment committee with a sustainable mindset – fixing things before buying new stuff – and getting the community together to level the courts.

Paul

Blake’s contribution. (I’m the founder of the Blake fanboy club) [the author wonders if they do make Sloppy Joes at the BB fanboy club…]

What’s Paul’s / Jesse’s best quality?

Jesse for Paul

Staying in the shadows! But more importantly, his generosity in keeping the club’s equipment in great shape.

Paul for Jesse

Wow! So many qualities to choose from! Jesse is a great TIG welder and I restore and build custom motorcycles. I often call on him to make modifications to the frames and make custom brackets.

If you were to reincarnate as a lion or a panda, which one would you choose (and why?)

Jesse

As a vegetarian, I’ll go with panda, who definitely seems to have more fun than lions. But if I had a real choice, I’d come back as a seagull. Hanging around the coast, eating hot chips, nicking ice creams off unsuspecting tourists, and cruising the sea breeze. Classic beach life. What’s not to love?

Paul

If I’m reincarnated, I’d like to come back as my dog. He’s fat, eats and sleeps a lot. Actually, that sounds like me? [actually that sounds like a panda, the author notes]

We were lucky enough to enjoy a few sunny days towards the end of winter, but let’s be honest, this winter has been one of the chilliest and gloomiest in recent memory. For some CBVA members the solution is simple: follow the sun. With so many nationalities and travel bugs in our club, it’s no surprise that some take the chance to travel overseas, explore new beaches, and play in tournaments abroad.

This month we caught up with Mica Levy, one of CBVA’s familiar faces. Known for her wicked float serve and serious firepower behind her spike, she’s always a tough competitor. Mica spent some time in Europe this winter, balancing tournaments, social games, and exploring beautiful beaches.

Trip – Social Volleyball

Where did your travels take you in Europe?

My travels took me to 3 countries, Switzerland (Mainly in Saint-Prex), Spain (Barcelona, Gran Canaria & Lanzarote) and Greece (Kefalonia, Ithaki, Lefkada & Zakynthos). I was away for a total of 6 weeks.

Did you take your beach volleyball ball with you?
Of course I did—it’s my baby! Sadly though, my baby didn’t survive Greece. The spot where we peppered was right by the beach, but next to it was this unkept paddock full of spikes, bushes, and even goats wandering around. Every time the ball rolled over there, it picked up spikes, and I’d have to keep pulling them out. Eventually, it just couldn’t handle it anymore, and my poor baby passed away.

Which beaches or clubs did you play at socially, and how did you find out about these spots?

I didn’t really play at “clubs” as such—at least not in Spain or Switzerland where I was. The structure there is different; people usually bring their own nets and play with their groups. Sometimes it’s even a bit territorial—if a certain crew usually plays in one spot, you know there might be “problems” if you try to set up ther​​e.

I played the most in Barcelona. I already knew some of the spots from past visits, but I also googled, asked around, and just walked along the promenade my first day until I saw a level I liked. I introduced myself, asked if I could jump in, and luckily they said yes. Once they’ve seen your level, people are way more inclusive, and then they start organising games with you.

In Switzerland, I relied on word of mouth. I even reached out to one of our old CBVA members, Tony, who lives there. He pointed me toward Lausanne, which was a 30–60 minute bike ride away. One afternoon I found two junior girls peppering on a net, so I offered to toss balls for them and ended up playing 1 vs 2. A guy from a nearby court joined in, and it turned out he was a fantastic player—that was my “in” to the volleyball scene there. Through him, I got invited to games, met other players, and even played with a professional American indoor player. She was an absolute boss at the net, and we had some incredible games.

In Greece, I tried to find beach volleyball, but the islands I visited didn’t really have much of a scene. I did manage to pepper a bit with another CBVA member, Marie, and Ilaria joined us for a few days too, which was still fun.

How did the vibe on European beaches compare to Coogee or Manly: more serious, more social, or just different? Did you notice any big differences in playing style, format, or even vibe between Europe and Australia?

I was actually really surprised at tournaments/social play, I feel like people warmed up less than in Australia. They did the ball warm up, but in terms of activation, I actually saw it less – not many players did it unless they did it in private at home. I think Australia has a really good culture of this – warming up without the ball (glute bands, therabands, core, etc) then with the ball.

Also we are so lucky in Australia, we usually have a few physios or chiropractors for the event – this was not a big thing in Europe. In Lanzarote, there was one great physio, but it was 5 euros to see him and you had to message to get a time-slot but one physio for over 900 players..

Did you pick up any new tricks, serves, or sneaky plays from the locals?
Most of them played smart, not hard and the women are more ahead of the pokie game than in Sydney.

Tournament – talk about your experience

Tell us about the tournaments you played in – where were they, and what level of competition did you see? (eg compare to Sydney level)

I played in two main tournaments while I was in Europe, and both were incredible experiences.

SVAT Tournament – Premia de Mar (Spain)
I competed in both the Mixed and the Feminine divisions. In Feminine, we reached the quarterfinals and finished 5th in the Pro Gold division—which sounds better when I add that we only lost by two points to the eventual champions! In Mixed, we played in Pro Silver and came 2nd.

​​I was told that SVAT tournaments (they’re held in different locations across Spain) usually aren’t quite at this level, but because there were no other tournaments that weekend, it attracted a lot of strong players who were preparing for the season. The SVAT format is structured in tiers—Pro (Gold, Silver, Bronze), Challenger (Gold, Silver, Bronze), and Amateur—which really helps you gauge where you stand. Overall, I’d say the level was higher than in Sydney, although of course it depends on who’s competing at the time.

Torneo Lanzarote Vóley Playa – Canary Islands
This was a very different vibe but equally memorable. I entered the top division in both Feminine and Mixed. The standard was strong—one of the men playing was ranked in the top 5–10 players in Spain—but at the same time it had a more social edge. Players would go out the night before and still show up the next day and absolutely dominate… Maybe it’s just young blood at work!

Organisation-wise, everything was run through an app, which was super seamless and efficient—except on the second-last day when the app crashed. That’s when the MC had to keep manually announcing games, and you could feel his frustration. Still, it added to the charm of the event and didn’t take away from the experience.

How did the experience of playing in a European tournament compare to Sydney or Australian tournaments?

The biggest difference I noticed was just how much the European tournaments gave back to the players—I was honestly shocked!

At the Barcelona tournament, the player perks were next level compared to what I’ve seen in Sydney. They had proper coffee machines with different milk options, water available all day, breakfast pastries, and even high-protein yoghurt pouches since YoPro was a sponsor. It felt so player-focused, almost like they were going out of their way to make sure you were fuelled and looked after.

Then there was the Lanzarote tournament, which took things to a whole other level. From what I understand, because it’s such a tourist-driven event, the local government and council provide a lot of support—and you can tell. Breakfast was provided everyday (coffee, sandwiches, fruit, juice, even toasters), lunch on the second day was a huge paella with drinks, and on Saturday night they actually hosted a full party on the beach. There was alcohol, finger food like mini hamburgers, cheeses, meats—you name it. It was a real celebration, not just a competition.

The atmosphere was also very different from Australia. They had flags from all participating countries set up around the courts—even an Australian flag just for me, which was such a special touch. There were speakers blasting music everywhere (sometimes a little too loud), and a dedicated MC who kept the energy up with constant announcements, games, and giveaways—like prizes for who could jump the highest or who had the best dance moves. It really felt like a festival as much as a tournament.

What was your biggest highlight on the court?
(e.g. a big win, a tough match, or a memorable rally)

To be honest, if you’d asked me straight after, I could have picked one instantly—but looking back now, a few moments really stand out.

At the Lanzarote tournament, I was supposed to play with Eva (she’s from Gran Canaria but used to play at Coogee and now lives in Brisbane). Unfortunately, she injured herself in our second game and literally couldn’t move, so I had to get creative. I started pulling out every sneaky play I could— first ball attacks, second ball dumps, even chasing aces. We only lost by a tiny margin against a strong team, and I was proud of how close we came considering the circumstances.

Beyond the results, one of my biggest highlights was simply the experience of playing volleyball abroad— meeting incredible people who not only shared the game with me but also shared their cities, food, and culture.
It’s my favourite way to travel!

There were also some funny and memorable encounters. In Barcelona, I spotted a man wearing an Aus Volley top and immediately asked about it. He explained that someone had given it to him, and when he found out I was from Australia, he mentioned he actually knew one of our members, Alice Chen, from growing up in Taiwan! (He’s half Taiwanese, half Chilean, and now runs a small beach volley group in Barcelona.) He remembered Alice as being very tall, though amusingly, Alice didn’t remember him. He ended up giving me one of his club’s shirts to take back and wear in Sydney, which was such a cool exchange.

Another highlight was when I partnered with a professional indoor player, and everything just clicked. Every rally felt golden—we were completely in sync, on fire, and even beat two strong male players. That kind of game where you walk off the court buzzing—it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

If you could bring one thing about European tournaments back to Australia, what would it be?
Great question… honestly, I’m not even sure! Part of me thinks we should keep things the same here in Australia, just so we can keep being blown away when we go abroad. There’s something fun about that contrast—it makes the overseas experience feel extra

Final advice

Finally, if a CBVA member was thinking of doing a similar trip (volleyball and travel), what’s your one hot tip to make it a great experience?

We’re so lucky to have such a multicultural club, so my top tip would be: wherever you’re travelling—no matter how random the location—post in the CBVA chat group and ask around. Chances are, a member has been there, has contacts, or can give advice. Sometimes someone might even be from that place, which can make your experience so much richer and more connected.

Mica’s journey is a reminder that volleyball is more than just a sport, it’s a community that connects people across the world. From the beaches of Sydney to the courts of Europe, the game continues to bring players together, building friendships and memories along the way. We thank Mica for sharing her story, and we look forward to seeing her back on the sand with new skills, fresh experiences, and perhaps a few tricks learned from her time abroad.