Australian Beach Volleyball Teams Chase First LA 2028 Quota Spot in China

Australia’s beach volleyball teams will have their first chance to earn a quota spot for the LA 2028 Olympic Games this week, with four teams selected to compete for Australia at the 2026 AVC Beach Continental in Shangluo, China.

Running from 2-6 September, the tournament marks the opening opportunity for beach volleyballers from the Asia-Pacific region to secure an Olympic quota spot under a newly introduced qualification system for this cycle.

Under the new pathway, one quota spot per gender will be awarded to the winning nation at the Continental event. The remaining quota spots will be determined across the 2027 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, the Olympic Rankings, and the Olympic Qualifier Series. 

Australia will have two women’s and two men’s teams battling it out, including women’s Olympic silver medalist Taliqua Clancy (Qld) and her new partner Stefie Fejes (NSW) as well as Jasmine Fleming (QLD) and Lizzie Alchin (WA).  The Aussies will be ones to watch but are expected to face tough competition from China’s Yan X./X. Y. Xia, Japan’s Shiba/Reika and New Zealand’s Polley/MacDonald. 

In the men’s, Paris Olympians Mark Nicolaidis (QLD) and Izac Carracher (NSW) continue their strong partnership as they eye off a second Olympic Games, while fellow Olympian Thomas Hodges (VIC) has a new partner in Ben Hood (QLD), following the retirement of Zach Schubert. There is not much separating the top men’s sides with Australia’s toughest defence likely to come from Qatar’s Cherif/Ahmed. 

For Hodges, he’s no stranger to the pressures of Olympic Qualification, and says he’s excited at the chance to represent Australia at an Olympic Games again.

“The Olympic quota spot on the line obviously makes this event mean that much more,” said Hodges. 

“There will be extra motivation, pressure, and emotions out there for every game and I can’t wait to put it all out there to secure that spot for Australia.

“Our goal is obviously to win the tournament, but this will take us putting it all out there. Putting into practice all of the learnings we have gained throughout the year, taking one game at a time and fighting for every point,” he said.

With an Olympic quota spot on the line for the first time this cycle, the 2026 AVC Beach Continental shapes as a pivotal early test on Australia’s path to LA 2028. For more on beach volleyball’s road to LA28 – click here or for the FIVB qualification process click here. 

Follow the draw and livestream – click here.