Promise for the future after Plaza and Perry's U22 Euros campaign in Madrid

The Fireball duo navigated their way through the qualifiers in Madrid by beating the hosts' Agulló and López de Miguel in three sets (22-24, 21-14, 15-10). 

They then faced a tough pool where they were beaten by Boyd and Sponer of Austria (21-13, 22-20) and another Spanish side in the Mãnanes brothers (21-15, 21-17). 

Their campaign concluded with a 17th to 21st classification match where they went down to Serbia's Skuletic and Drageljevic (21-12, 21-14). 

Although results did not always go their way, they are taking plenty of positives from the experience. 

"We felt it went well overall, and we were pleased to get through the qualifiers and compete in the main draw with some close games," said Theo. 

"We’ve become more confident and knowledgeable with what we need to improve and gained respect from other nations. 

"With only a year of playing together, our partnership has come a long way andthere is still room to grow. 

"Our coaches have supported us immensely physically and mentally so big thanks to them. Next up, we have the European Club Championships qualifier (representing Fireball in France on 26th and 27th September) and next year we are looking to play more internationally." 

Coach Mark Garcia-Kidd agreed there was much to be encouraged about in what he saw from his charges. 

He added: "For Stuart, the athletic development he’s shown through his commitment and determination to return from injury has been exceptional. 

"For Theo, to be competing at this level after only two and a half years of playing competitively is a fantastic achievement in itself. 

"As a pair, challenging national teams like Austria, Estonia, and Spain, and causing problems for some of the best teams in Europe was hugely promising. 

"With both athletes still having two more years in this age category, there’s real excitement about what they can achieve. They should be very proud of themselves, and so should the wider volleyball community that has supported them. 

"They represented England incredibly well, both on and off the court. There’s no long wait for their next opportunity either, with European Beach Volleyball Club Championships coming up at the end of this month. 

"The two players have left Madrid with a real sense of pride and optimism for the future." 

Images courtesy of CEV