Liam Neish and Mathew Ressa win bronze at SCA U19 Men’s Beach Volleyball Championship in Encamp, Andorra; Gibraltar’s first-ever international beach volleyball medal
From ambition to the podium: Gibraltar celebrates historic breakthrough through Volleyball Empowerment – FIVB
When Gibraltar first began receiving support through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, the ambition was clear: build stronger national teams, create opportunities for young athletes and become increasingly competitive on the international stage.
Now, that long-term work is delivering historic results.
Liam Neish and Mathew Ressa claimed bronze at the recent SCA U19 Men’s Beach Volleyball Championship in Encamp, Andorra – Gibraltar’s first-ever international beach volleyball medal.
And the depth of Gibraltar’s progress was perhaps even more significant than the medal itself. Fellow Gibraltarians Theo Nunez and Matthew Stevenson also reached the semi-finals, meaning the two pairs ultimately faced each other for bronze.
For a small National Federation that has spent several years carefully building its beach volleyball programme, it represented an important milestone.
Long-term coaching investment delivering results
The result is the latest milestone in a development journey supported by the Volleyball Empowerment since 2019.
To date, the FIVB has invested CHF 280,000 in the development of volleyball in Gibraltar, with the vast majority dedicated to eight years of coach support from 2019 to 2026.
That continuity has allowed the Gibraltar Volleyball Association (GVA) to provide its young athletes with consistent, high-quality coaching while establishing greater structure across its programmes.
GVA President Emma Labrador said:
“The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme has had a hugely positive impact on the development of beach volleyball in Gibraltar. As a small National Federation, having the support of the FIVB to provide us with dedicated coaches of this calibre and experience has allowed us to give our young athletes a level of consistent, high-quality coaching that would otherwise have been extremely difficult for us to achieve.”
The medal also represents the fulfilment of an ambition several years in the making.
In 2023, Neish and Ressa became Gibraltar’s first pair to compete on the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, appearing at the Cervia Futures while aged just 15 and 14 respectively. At the time, the GVA had originally envisaged a five-year journey towards competing at that level. Instead, its young athletes reached the milestone after only three years of dedicated coaching support.
Nunez and Stevenson were also already identified at that stage as another promising young pairing in Gibraltar’s developing beach volleyball programme.
Three years later, all four players were competing for a place on the podium in Andorra.
“Winning our first-ever medal at a Small Countries beach volleyball competition is a very special milestone for Gibraltar volleyball. Having both our teams meet each other in the bronze medal match demonstrates what can be achieved when talented and committed athletes are given the right coaching, structure and opportunity.”
Building a pathway for the future
Current head coach Vladimir Hauriska has continued that long-term work, developing a structured pathway which combines indoor and beach volleyball training across age groups from U12 through to Gibraltar’s junior and adult squads.
For Hauriska, the change in the players’ belief has been just as important as the results.
“Beyond the results, the programme is helping us build a stronger and more sustainable beach volleyball structure in Gibraltar, while giving our young athletes valuable opportunities to travel, compete internationally and develop resilience, discipline and self-belief. Seeing our players progress from having no international results to standing on the podium for the first time demonstrates the real impact that structured coaching and long-term development can have.”
Bronze medallist Mathew Ressa highlighted the value of having experienced coaching available both in training and during international competition.
“I think it is extremely beneficial to have Vlad as a coach especially during tournaments, having someone who has a clear mind and a lot of game experience during games when we are panicking or worried helps a lot. He’s also really good during training as his drills are really beneficial and he knows which areas of our game need focusing.”
From a first Beach Pro Tour appearance to a first international medal, Gibraltar’s progress shows the value of sustained investment and quality coaching.
“For us, Volleyball Empowerment is about much more than one medal,” said the GVA President. “It is helping us build a sustainable pathway for beach volleyball in Gibraltar, raise the level of our national teams and give our young players the belief that they can compete successfully internationally.”
From ambition to the podium: Gibraltar celebrates historic breakthrough through Volleyball Empowerment
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