Fun in the sun and sand

Photo By Staff Sgt. Megan Leuck | GTMO Assassins serve the volleyball across the court to the awaiting team, "Sweet Tea 1 and 1/2," during one game of the Beach Volleyball Tournament at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay's Windmill Beach, Aug. 23-24, 2008. After winning this match, GTMO Assassins won their way to the championship match and finish the tournament with a hard-earned second place. Joint Task Force Guantanamo conducts safe and humane care and custody of detained enemy combatants. The JTF conducts interrogation operations to collect strategic intelligence in support of the global war on terror and supports law enforcement and war crimes investigations. JTF Guantanamo is committed to the safety and security of American service members and civilians working inside its detention facilities.  

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

08.29.2008

Story by Spc. Megan Leuck 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

By Megan Burnham
Joint Task Force Guantanamo

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - There's no better way to spend a weekend than playing beach volleyball. The scorching hot sand, scraped knees from the concrete slab under the sand and the promise of painful sunburn are all things not to be missed.

These potential negatives at the sand volleyball court at Windmill Beach didn't stop 13 teams from participating in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation co-ed four-on-four beach volleyball tournament, Aug. 23-24, 2008.

The tournament started at 11 a.m. both days with some teams playing until after 7 p.m. on Aug. 23 and the championship match finishing around 2 p.m. on Aug. 24. The team roster could consist of up to six players with at least one female per team; however, only four players were allowed to play on the court at any one time.

Each match consisted of up to three games where one team had to win two of them. The first two games were played to 25 points and if both teams won a game, the third was played to 15 points.

In beach volleyball, a scoring method called rally point scoring. Rally scoring is where a point is awarded each rally even if the team receiving the point didn't serve the ball; in simple terms, when one team makes an error the opposite team receives a point.

The tournament was very intense with the double-elimination rule where a team had to lose two matches before they were eliminated from the tournament. With this rule, team GTMO Assassins was able to play in the championship match against the undefeated team The Scrubs even though they lost one match on Saturday. GTMO Assassins had to play four matches in a row (six games overall) to accomplish this feat; however, they fell short of winning against the Scrubs. The Scrubs had a more relaxed schedule with a two-hour break in between each match.

The award ceremony was held after the championship match. Trophies and $25 gift cards to the Navy Exchange were given to the first-place team, the Scrubs, while GTMO Assassins also received trophies and $15 gift cards to the NEX for placing second.

• Date Taken: 08.29.2008
• Date Posted: 09.04.2008 17:01
• Story ID: 23216
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU