As summer jobs go, this one’s tough to beat. You and a friend get to tour international coastal hot spots, acting as turismo and soaking up the sun.
The catch? You have to play beach volleyball.
Only the two of you are good enough to be ranked number one without ever playing an international game, and every time you win you can add a few extra grand to your summer nest egg. For U of T students Anastasia “Asya” Danilova and Mila Miguel, it is only a matter of days before this becomes their reality. The two will be testing the waters of the international beach volleyball circuit, using the experience of jetting from one sun-drenched beach to the next to see if the lifestyle is really for them.
“It’s a different summer for us, it’s a taste of a different style of life,” Danilova said. “We don’t know what to expect, but to have volleyball be your first priority is great.”
“We’ve always been dedicated to playing volleyball, but have always encountered that perspective as a student. It’s exciting to just be beach bums for the summer and see if it’s something we want to continue,” Miguel said. “And we can use the experience to gauge a look at the 2012 Olympics–“
“Whether it’s worth it, we can handle it,” Danilova added, jumping in.
“It’s just a great short-term goal,” Miguel said. “Having it happen this summer makes those decisions easier to make.”
The pair make up the youngest Canadian tandem to attend an International Women’s Senior Beach Volleyball event. They have played team volleyball with each other for four years, most recently contributing to a Varsity Blues 17-2 record, taking the Ontario University Athletic East regular-season title.
A beach vollyball duo for three years, over the last two seasons the pair have won the Under-24 Provincial Tournament twice, and the national tournament in 2006.
Danilova is from St. Petersburg. Russia, and the right setter made her third consecutive appearance on the OUA first team this past season, finishing sixth in the OUA in kill percentage (.305) and service aces (25) , completing 400 assists for her team. Danilova’s consistent success allowed her to become a nationally-carded athlete last fall. Being selected pegs Danilova as a high calibre Canadian athlete, seen as having Olympic potential. As a result, she receives a standard $1,200 tuition supplement plus $900 a month over five months to aid in her training.
Miguel finished the season seventh in the OUA in points-per-game with 3.87, and also had a 3.44 digs per game average for the Blues. Also a two-time OUA all-star, Miguel received the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Thérèse Quigley Award for her excellence on and off the court this season. Born in Victoria, BC, Miguel signed up for the Quest for Gold Ontario Athlete Assistant Prorgam, which provides support to the province’s amateur athletes, and received over $8,000.
The two will be making their international debut in Trinidad & Tobago May 25-27, entering as the top-seed in the last tournament of the North, Central America, and Carribean Volleyball Confederation. Their lofty status is a result of Canadian success the previous four tournaments this year, as Canada ranks as the number-one country, their 255 points ahead of the USA and Puetro Rico’s 240. First prize is $2,000 (U.S.).
Having never competed outside Canada, Danilova and Miguel are aware that their opponents will bring them some moves that they haven’t seen before.
“We have been told to expect different styles of play,” Miguel said. “Our goals are to adapt to the travelling, and to gain our ‘sea legs’ through some experience.”
The two listed patience as a priority. “There’s only so much we can control when we’re playing,” Miguel said. “We need to take care of our first two touches and make sure we keep to our defensive game plan.”
Danilova also said that the two will have to rely on communication to keep mental focus.
“It’s changed how we react to plays when we’re not on our game,” she said. “On a team, if you’re not playing well you can get switched out. With pairs, you have to be able to work through the difficulties, and to keep confidence with each other when the train goes off the rail.”
“That where communication becomes important: you need to help each other in difficult situations, to keep calm,” Miguel added.
“But you also have to keep you own game,” Danilova said. “We do have a default game plan, but a lot of what we do is tactile. We adjust to what we feel is happening in a game.”
“Even if we don’t know an opponent, we can still try and test them while playing,” Miguel said. “We can plan to shoot a ball short and see how they react, and decide our attack on those types of plays.”
After the NORCECA tournament, Danilova and Miguel are hoping to be selected for the Federation International Beach Volleyball tournament in San Sebastian, Spain, June 29-July 1. Technically a satellite tournament, the event will offer the Danilova and Miguel a chance to win some of the $10,000 (U.S.) prize money, but, perhaps more importantly, it will bring valuable compition from 15 other pairs. FIVB ranks atheletes by giving them points after each tournament, and right now Danilova and Miguel have none. If they win in Spain, they each take ten points and $2,000 (U.S.). If they finish last, they will still recieve three points and $200 (U.S.).
The main tournament of the summer for the pair would be Women’s Open in Montreal July 4-8. The two will have to qualify to enter the field of 60, but if they enter and win, they would split $200,000 (U.S.).
Following the Montreal Open, Danilova and Miguel hope to make Challenger tournaments in Italy and Cyprus later in July, both events promising $30,000 (U.S.) in prize money, and more points for the two to cement their standing in international competition before the 2012 Canadian Olympic selection committee.
