Commonwealth Games Scotland has today announced that Lynne Beattie and Melissa Coutts have been selected to represent Team Scotland in women’s beach volleyball at this summer’s Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The selection comes after the pair secured Scotland’s qualification for the Games after a brilliant second-place finish in last summer’s Eurozone Commonwealth Games qualifier, which was hosted by Scottish Volleyball at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh.

Coutts and Beattie, who both took to the sand in Australia in 2018, faced a tough Cypriot team to secure Scotland’s qualification and the second place finish was enough to grant the Scots back-to-back Games qualifications.

The Edinburgh based pairing, who are currently ranked 140 in the world, have been a partnership since 2015, training and competing for Edinburgh Beach Volleyball Club in Portobello.

They reached the quarter-finals of the beach volleyball competition in Gold Coast 2018, losing to the Canadian pairing of Melissa Humana-Paredes and Sarah Pavan, who would go on to claim gold in the competition.

Talking about her selection for Team Scotland, Coutts said, “It is great to be selected for Team Scotland for a second consecutive Commonwealth Games.

“We’ve got many great memories from four years ago, and the atmosphere was really special in Australia, but with it being a UK-based games I’m sure this one will be even better. I can’t wait.”

Beattie, who captained Team GB in indoor volleyball at the London 2012 Olympic Games said, “As soon as the last Commonwealth Games finished we were back on tour immediately because we knew how important it was to contribute to qualification the next time around.

“It has been a long process but this was obviously the ultimate goal and we achieved it, so we are very excited.

“Being part of the wider Team Scotland is a special experience – representing your country, mixing with athletes from other sports, cheering them all on. Being part of a large team isn’t something we get to do very often so we’ll be looking to make the most of it.”

Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Elinor Middlemiss said “I am delighted to welcome Lynne and Melissa back to Team Scotland for their second Commonwealth Games. It is fitting that they have ben selected after securing the team’s qualification for Birmingham 2022.

“The Beach Volleyball competition will be played in a stunning venue in the middle of Birmingham and I am looking forward to watching the team out on the sand. I have no doubt that the Scottish public will get behind the girls both at home and in Birmingham.”

The beach volleyball competition runs from 30 July to 7 August and will be held at the former Smithfield Market at a temporary Games venue in the heart of Birmingham city centre.