The Isle of Man enjoyed a hugely successful weekend of volleyball action as the fourth annual Manx Invitational Tournament welcomed teams from across the UK for two days of competition at the National Sports Centre.

The tournament featured 11 teams across the men’s and women’s competitions, including eight visiting teams from the UK.

Now in its fourth year, the event continues to grow, helping to raise the profile of volleyball locally while attracting more travelling teams to compete in the island.

The highlight of the weekend came in the women’s competition, won by the Isle of Man

Falcons women’s team who reached the final for the second consecutive year, this time beating Lynx Volleyball Club 25-16 in both sets.

In the men’s competition, the Falcons also made the final but couldn’t quite edge past the experienced Old Guys side who won in two tightly-fought sets.

The tournament also marked an important milestone for the future of Manx volleyball, with a junior girls team entering the competition for the first time.

The young squad impressed throughout the weekend and gained valuable experience against senior opposition, underlining the growing strength of the sport’s development pathway in the island which is crucial with volleyball as one of the sports in the Manx-hosted 2029 Island Games.

Last weekend’s event, which was kindly supported by local fiduciary firm Atla Group, demonstrated both the quality of volleyball already being played in the Isle of Man and the increasing appetite for the sport among new players, juniors and visiting teams.

- Anyone interested in trying volleyball, whether as a beginner or returning player, can find out more about local sessions and upcoming events through the Isle of Man volleyball community’s social media channels or by visiting https://www.volleyballiom.com/