UKBT CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026

Deep Dish Takes on the UKBT Club Championships 2026!

The UKBT Club Championships 2026 will certainly be remembered as one of the toughest events we've competed in. With torrential rain, relentless wind and some of the strongest clubs in the country battling it out on the sand, the weekend tested every aspect of beach volleyball.

But despite the conditions, our Deep Dish family showed exactly what we're about. With teams representing Deep Dish Crystal Palace, Deep Dish Bournemouth and Deep Dish St Albans, we were proud to have players competing across multiple divisions and age groups. By the end of the weekend, Deep Dish Crystal Palace had finished 4th overall, Deep Dish Bournemouth 5th and Deep Dish St Albans 15th, an incredible achievement across all three clubs.

Surviving the Storm

There's no easy way to describe Saturday other than brutal. The combination of wind and rain made proper beach volleyball incredibly difficult. Three-touch play was often impossible, serving from one side of the court felt like a lottery and simply tracking the ball through the weather was a challenge. Yet what stood out most wasn't the volleyball—it was the people.

Across all three clubs, players supported one another through every match, every downpour and every setback. Whether cheering from the sidelines, helping teammates stay positive or huddling together between games to stay warm, the Deep Dish spirit was on full display.

Deep Dish Crystal Palace: Finals, Medals and Fantastic Energy

Crystal Palace once again demonstrated the depth of talent within the club, entering 13 pairs across five divisions and coming away with three medal-winning teams.

The Men's Championship team battled through the difficult conditions to secure a quarter-final place before eventually finishing 7th out of 19 competing clubs. A fantastic achievement considering the level of competition and the challenging weather.

The Women's Championship team produced one of the standout performances of the entire tournament. They progressed confidently through day one and continued their impressive run all the way to the final. Although they ultimately finished runners-up to Nottingham, their silver medal was richly deserved.

If you were anywhere near the courts, you almost certainly heard them too. The energy, positivity and famous barking chants from the players and coach Ella helped keep spirits high not only for Crystal Palace but for many others around Sandbanks throughout the weekend.

The Trophy divisions also brought plenty of success. Joe Monteiro had a particularly memorable weekend, winning bronze alongside Andrei Lebed before returning to claim gold with Abi Ackroyd.

Across every division, Crystal Palace players fought hard, represented the club brilliantly and contributed to another exceptional overall result.

(Written by Jack - Crystal Palace Manager/Coach/Player)

Deep Dish Bournemouth: Home Sands, Strong Results

Competing on home sand, Bournemouth made the most of their local knowledge and experience.

The men's team secured crucial victories on day one to reach the quarter-finals before eventually falling to Edinburgh, who would go on to finish as runners-up. They bounced back strongly to defeat their Deep Dish brothers from Crystal Palace and secure 5th place.

The women's team faced a particularly difficult pool but continued to battle throughout the weekend, eventually defeating Deep Dish St Albans to finish 12th overall.

Our junior athletes also impressed enormously. Quietly progressing through the knockout stages, they came within touching distance of a medal before narrowly losing the bronze medal match to Richmond and finishing an excellent 4th.

For a club competing in front of a home crowd, Bournemouth delivered a fantastic performance across all divisions.

(Written by Jamie - Bournemouth Manager/Coach/Player)

Deep Dish St Albans: Gaining Experience and Building for the Future

For Deep Dish St Albans, the Club Championships provided a fantastic opportunity for both our men's and women's teams to test themselves against some of the strongest beach volleyball clubs in the country.

The men's squad faced a baptism of fire on day one, opening their campaign against eventual men's champions Fireball London. They later took on fellow Deep Dish club Crystal Palace before securing a hard-fought victory over Sideout Worthing to finish the day on a high.

Day two brought another challenging pool featuring Cardiff and Exmouth. The team produced some excellent performances, including a crucial third-set victory against Cardiff's second team. Although they narrowly missed out in the following golden set, the players continued to battle throughout the day and finished the tournament strongly with victories against Exmouth. More importantly, they embraced the opportunity to compete at this level and proudly represent St Albans on the national stage.

For the women's team, the biggest challenge was the weather itself. The torrential rain and strong winds on day one made traditional beach volleyball incredibly difficult, with serving, visibility and three-touch play all heavily impacted. Despite the conditions, the team showed tremendous resilience and maintained a positive atmosphere throughout the day, constantly supporting and encouraging one another.

With improved weather on day two, the women were able to play a much higher standard of volleyball and demonstrate the progress they have made as a team. Although results did not always go their way, they secured a victory during the tournament, pushed several opponents to deciding sets and narrowly lost a number of golden sets by only a couple of points. Their competitiveness throughout the weekend was a reflection of both their determination and development.

Away from the court, St Albans also turned heads with their distinctive playing kit, which drew compliments from competitors across the event and earned the nickname "Summer Watermelon" from fellow players. Featuring imagery inspired by warriors, spears and St Albans Cathedral, the design reflected the spirit with which both teams competed throughout the weekend.

While the final standings don't tell the full story, both the men's and women's teams leave the championships with valuable experience, stronger team bonds and plenty of motivation to continue improving. The foundations are firmly in place, and St Albans will undoubtedly return stronger next year.

(Written by Ola & Claudiu - St Albans players)

More Than Results

While the final standings were something to celebrate, the real success of the weekend was seeing three Deep Dish clubs competing, supporting one another and representing our community on the national stage.

From finals appearances and medals to hard-fought victories in difficult conditions, every player contributed to the story of the weekend.

Most importantly, we left Sandbanks with new experiences, stronger friendships and memories that will last far longer than any result sheet.

A huge thank you to every player, coach, volunteer and supporter who made the weekend possible.

We'll be back next year, hopefully with a little more sunshine, a little less wind and even more penguin huddling.

Photo Album

You can view the full Club Championships photo album HERE