Denise Austin
has been coaching indoor volleyball since 1985 and beach volleyball in the UK since 1995, when she ran the first National Junior Beach Camp.
Since then while competing she has maintained her contact with coaching and developed the top level players while competing against them.
Denise is the lead staff tutor for Volleyball England, she coaches coaches how to teach the game and has written the first UK Book on beach volleyball. She has an unparalleled passion for growing the game.
Zara Dampney GBR Olympian in London 2012 began her beach volleyball career learning in Croyde with Denise from the age of 15. Denise coached three club athletes to NCAA Beach Volleyball scholarships.
Denise Austin’s other major developments have been in the Beach Volleyball Camps for recreational players and has run well over 100 camps in the UK and abroad since 1995, for more information please see the Coaching & Camps page.
Denise Austin whose international career can be found at bvbinfo.com is the head coach of Beach Volleyball Inc. Her history in the sport as a player and as a coach speaks for itself.
There isn’t anyone who has survived playing and coaching in beach volleyball longer! She has written the book on coaching and how to coach coaches, she pioneered the international beach volleyball travelling player, as well as initiating most of the junior developments in beach volleyball from national training camps, to regional and national tours, set up the first permanent beach volleyball court on the beach and built the first permanent inland court.
She was one of the leading pioneers for development of the National Junior Beach Programme working as a volunteer to grow the sport in England. During the past three years she has created the Home Nations Junior Beach Volleyball Championships and the Inter Regional Junior Beach Volleyball Championships.
In her relentless pursuit of playing and learning, with great tenacity, Denise is still completing on the National Tour. In really brutal and tough conditions perfectly suited for Denise she and Ellie Austin won the UKBT National Championships in 2018! She has now won an event in four decades, a feat unrivalled!
In 2019 she won her 14th Queen of the Beach title in her home town of Croyde as well as coaching England U19 to their first Gold Medal in the NEVZA U19 Championships in Tylosand, Sweden.
2023 is Denise Austins retirement year from British Beach Volleyball.
Denise Austin now works for Volleyball World and Beach Volleyball World as a volleyball commentator since 2022 where she began at the Rome World Championships. She is currenlty commentating on the Beach Pro Tour and the Pro Tour Finals in Doha in December 2023. Alongside working in for the indoor serie A mens and womens league in italy.
Playing CV
- 2023 Weymouth Classic 4th – Mel Coutts (retired0
- Queen of the Beach 3rd Croyde
- The Cardiff Open 9th Julia Constantinou
- 2022 UKBT Welsh Open 4* 2nd Place with Katie Tuohey
- 2021 UKBT Weymouth 5* 5th Place with Laura Bugnari
- 2019 UKBT Weymouth 5* – 5th Place with Cleo Jongedijk
- UKBT 3*Sandbanks – 2nd Place Millie Constable
- Winner Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2018 UKBT Championships 1st with Ellie Austin aged 17.
- The Cardiff Open 3rd Julia Constantinou
- Weymouth Classic 3rd Eva Holt
- Queen of the Beach Croyde 2nd
- 2017 1st VEBT Weymouth Classic – Aga Adamek
- 3rd VEBT Sandbanks – Lauren Huggins aged 16
- Winner Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2016 2nd VEBT Finals Margate – Ellie Austin aged 15
- 9th VEBT Weymouth – Mo Glover 46
- 5th VEBT Skegness – Holly Bentley aged 15
- 3rd VEBT Great Yarmouth – Millie Constable aged 20
- Winner Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2015 2nd VEBT Weston-Super-Mare Alex Vajdova
- 2nd Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2014 1st VEBT Weymouth Open
- 2nd Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 9th VEBT Skegness-with Ellie Austin aged 13
- 2013 2nd VEBT Weymouth Open
- 1st VEBT Skegness-Mel Coutts
- 1st Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2012 1st VEBT Finals Bournemouth-Mel Coutts
- 1st VEBT Margate Open- Mel Coutts
- 1st Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2nd VEBT Skegness
- 3rd VEBT Weston Super Mare
- 2011 1st VEBT Finals Bournemouth
- 1st VEBT Margate Open
- 1st Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2010 3rd VEBT Finals Bournemouth
- 1st VEBT Sandbanks Classic
- 1st Margate Open-Mel Coutts
- Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2009 GBR Caps at CEV Blackpool (2)
- 2nd VEBT Finals Blackpool
- 3rd Great Yarmouth Open
- 1st Weymouth Classic
- Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 3 weeks training Hermosa Beach LA
- 4 weeks training Tenerife
- 2008 2nd Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 3rd Sandbanks Classic
- 3rd Weymouth Classic
- 2nd Urban Tour Portsmouth
- 3rd Urban Tour Birmingham
- 1st Great Yarmouth Grand Slam
- Winner EVA Triple Crown
- 1st Urban Tour Cardiff
- GBR Cap Gran Canaria & Blackpool
- 4 weeks training Tenerife
- 2007 Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2nd Sandbanks Classic
- 3rd Weymouth Classic
- 2nd Urban Tour Edinburgh
- 2nd Urban Tour Birmingham
- 2nd Urban Tour Cardiff
- 2nd VEBT National Championships
- Defender of the Year 2007
- 2006 Queen of The Beach Croyde
- Runner Up Sandbanks Classic
- 3rd Urban Tour Edinburgh
- Runner Up Weymouth Classic
- 1st Urban Tour Birmingham
- 1st Brighton Invitational
- 3rd Urban Tour Cardiff
- 1st Great Yarmouth Major
- 1st Windfest Poole
- No 1 Volleyball England Beach Tour Ranked Player.
- 2005 Queen of the Beach Croyde
- Weymouth Classic Winner (Mo Glover)
- 2004 Queen of the Beach Croyde
- Poole Grand Prix Winner (Lucy Boulton)
- Weymouth Classic Runner Up (Claire Kelly)
- 2003 Three months winter training in preparation for World Tour, Tenerife
- World Tour Qualifiers Greece 45th, Berlin 33rd, Norway and Italy 33rd and CEV Europeans (injury to partner forced early exit from World Tour)
- Weymouth Classic Winner (Mel Coutts)
- 2002 One month training Los Christianos, Tenerife
- Grand Prix Winner Bournemouth (Amy Weemes)
- Weymouth Classic Winner (Mo Glover)
- Queen of the Beach Croyde
- 2001 Year Out while I had my daughter Ellie
- Bournemouth Grand Prix Winner End August 01 (Vanessa Malone)
- 2000 25th Olympic Rankings for Sydney 24 teams competed
- 2000 World Series, Olympic Qualification Tour (Monique Oliver)
- 9th Italy, 17th Canada, 7th Portugal, 17th Japan, 17th China
- Present World Ranking 23rd
- 1999-2000 USA Hermosa Beach. 6 months pre season training for World Tour.
- AVP Hermosa Open 7th place. (Monique Oliver)
- FIVB World Series Challenger Italy 3rd place
- FIVB World Series finishes 17th, 25th, and 25th.
- World Ranking end of season 30th.
- 1998-1999 Brazil. Rio de Janeiro. 4 months training with Olympic silver medallist Monica Rodreigues and her coach.
- 1998 English Grand Prix Series. 1st place. (Vanessa Malone, George Poulton, Karen Ingham, Fiona Fazackerly, winner with five different partners)
- Brighton Invitational. Winner. (Vanessa Malone)
- 1997 English Grand Prix Series. 1st place. (Vanessa Malone)
- British Open. Battersea Park, Winner. (Vanessa Malone)
- 1996 South Africa. Cape Town. 5 months playing, training and coaching.
- Vodacom Open, Cape Town. Winner. (Anne Siroky)
- Sun City Queen of the Beach. Winner
- English Grand Prix Series. Winner. (Vanessa Malone)
- Covent Garden Invitational. Winner. (Vanessa Malone)
- National Championships. 2nd place.
- European Championships Weymouth, 9th place.
- 1995 English Grand Prix Series. 2nd place. (Vanessa Malone)
- EVA female beach player of the year.
- 1994-1995 Australia. Perth. 6months playing/training/coaching. (Sharon Browning)
- Australian Grand Prix. 5th place.
- West Australian Pro Series 1st/2ndx4/3rd
- 1994 English Grand Prix Series. 2nd place (Wendy Hawkins)
- 1993 USA. San Diego. 3 months playing and training. (Mo Glover)
- English Grand Prix 3rd Place. (Wendy Hawkins)
- 1992 West Australia 4 months playing and training (Mo Glover)
- 1992 English Grand Prix Series. 2nd place.
- ‘Most Improved Team’ Award
- 1991 Weymouth Division 2. 2nd place.
- 1991-1990 Australia. Perth. 6 months training.
- 1989 South West Pro Series. Winner.
- 1988 Retired from indoor volleyball.
- 1988 Selected for England junior tour to France.
- England Senior Squad.
- National League Champions. Sale.
- Super Cup Winner. Sale
- Cup Final. Runner Up. Sale
- U19 Cup Final. Winner. Greenhill School.
- 1987 British Association for Sport in Colleges. Winner
- England junior team tour to Germany.
- 1986 British Association for Sport in Colleges. Winner.
- 1984 Began playing at North Devon College.
Coaching CV
- 2022 Tucker-Keefe England Junior Beach Volleyball
- 2009-2022 Austin Evans England Junior & Senior Beach Volleyball Team
- 2019 NEVZA U19 Beach Volleyball Championships Gold Medal Ellie Austin & Katie Keefe
- 2019 Head Coach Austin/Evans England Beach Volleyball Team
- FIVB 4* Mexico 33rd Place
- FIVB 1* Vaduz 13th Place
- FIVB 1* IOS 3rd Place
- 2019 Continental Cup England women – 1st Round
- Petroc College Academy 2008-2019
- Petroc British College Winners 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 Girls
- Petroc British College Gold Medals 2018, 2019 Bronze Medal 2017 Boys
- 2018 European U20’s Anapa Russia 9th Place Ellie Austin (U18) & Holly Bentley (U19)
- 2018 European Olympic Qualifier 2nd Round Baden
- 2017 European U20 Championships Volcano Island Italy Anaya Evans(U19) and Ellie Austin (U17) 17th Place
- 2016-2017 TASS Pilot project for Volleyball England Petroc College
- 2016 European U20 Championships Greece Matthew Rhymer and Kirsty Starmer
- 2016 European U18 Championships Czech Republic Ellie Austin (U16) and Lauren Huggins (U18) Matthew Rhymer, Amanda Glover & Denise Austin
- 2016 World U19 Championships Cyprus Head Coach Programme Anaya Evans (U19) and Zoe Baxter (U19) (Alex Chavasse)
- 2016 NEZVA U17 & U19 Championships Sweden (Denise Austin and Matt Rhymer)
- 2016 European U20 Championships Turkey Head Coach Programme 25th Anaya Evans (U19) and Ellie Austin (U16) (Amanda Glover)
- 2016 World U21 Championships Switzerland Qualification 49th Anaya Evans (U19) and Ellie Austin (U16) (Denise Austin)
- 2015 European U18 Championships Lativa 13th-Anaya Evans (U18) and Yasmin Kaashoek (U17)(Denise Austin)
- 2014 Head Coach National Junior Beach Programme oversee U18/U20/U22 programme and teams (Matthew Rhymer and Denise Austin)
- European U18 Championships Norway 13th -Place Anaya Evans (U17) and Yasmin Kaashoek (U16)
- World U17 Championships Acapulco 9th place-Volleyball England-highest junior finish to date
- VE Junior Beach Head Coach 2013-
- VE Junior Beach Camp Head Coach Croyde 2010/2012
- TASS beach Volleyball coach 2005-2009
- World U21 Junior Beach Volleyball Coach GBR 2008 & 2009
- Volleyball England Staff Tutor Level 1/UKCC CTS Level 1
- Staff Tutor/Wrote VE Beach Volleyball Coaching Award 2004, run first course in Croyde 2004 followed by two more courses in 2005. 30-beach volleyball coaches now qualified. In the process of writing the finalised manual to go with the award.
- National Tour 2003- Competing at the top level to provide opposition to the up and coming teams plus also to play with up and coming juniors to give them experience of competing at a higher level.
- World Tour 2003, four world tour plus European Championship. Injury to partner forced early exit.
- Tenerife 2003. 3 months training in preparation for World Tour, detailing sessions from Sixto, (Xavier Bosman, Silver medallist from Athens Coach) Working with Head coaches from Norway while training their two teams who qualified for Athens. Helping train German Junior squad on a winter training camp. Training daily with Myra from Mexico world tour player.
- Tenerife 2002. 1 month training, working with Greece National Teams along side Alamo the Greek Head Coach, from Brazil. Teams have since gone onto podium places after Athens. Working again with world tour teams from Norway and Switzerland
- Los Angeles 2001. 3 months training and coaching in Hermosa Beach. Training daily with top teams from USA, Australia, Norway, and Switzerland. Coaching local AA/AAA players as a private coach.
- World Tour 2000: Qualification for Sydney 25 team, 24 teams went. 7th in Portugal highest place for UK team. Overall in top 24 by end of the season.
- Los Angeles 1999-2000: 5 months training in preparation for World Tour. Working with American Cody Cowell (top AVP player). Physical trainer Mike Morris (college Bowl winner in American Football) Training with top USA teams JJJ and Annette Davies, Linda Hanley, Lisa Arce, Barbara Fontana, Ali Wood, Danalee Bragado, Sarah Stratton (AUS)
- World Tour 1999: Six events two 25th and one 17th. Working with Alamo while in the states who coached many top world tour teams while he was based there
- AVP Hermosa 7th Place 1999.
- Brazil1998-1999: 5 months training based at Ipanema, Rio, in preparation for World Tour. Working 5 mornings a week with Monica Rodgregues (Silver Medallist from Atlanta and World Tour winner) Being coached by George Rodregues, who coaches her to the silver medal. Working with Jackie Silva Gold Medallist from Atlanta while she was partnering Monica. 3 months training in the p.m. with Gerusa and Magda top Brazilian team.
- Los Angeles 1997-98: 3 months training LA. Training with top US players and working with Steve Anderson Kerri Pottharst and Nat Cooks coach.
- South Africa 1995-6: 5 months training in Cape Town, working as a coach and trainer to the top SA women players.
- Australia 1994-5: 6 months Perth WA. Playing with National Team setter Sharon Browning on WA and Aus pro tour. Being coached by Mandy Coombes, ex-top Aus player while she was coaching the top two Japanese teams who were training for the world tour, Takahashi who was a four time Olympian and took fourth place in Sydney. Also training with Nat Cook, Anita Palm, Annette Hugens-Tholen, Sarah Stratton, Chris Wilson and other top Australian players.
- USA 1993: San Diego 2 months. Playing with Mo Glover. Training daily with top US players, Kirby, Masakayan,
- Australia 1992-3: 4 months Perth WA. Playing with Mo Glover on WA pro tour. Training with top Australian teams, Pauline Manser, Annette HT, Melissa Green, Lisa Wilcocks.
- Australia 1990-1991: 6 months Australia, 2 months Perth WA, training with Aus and Puerto Rican Pro Players.
- Coaching activities Croyde 2005: 4 day performance camp start of the two year cycle to create a NT structure and build up a cycle for teams to be competing by 2007 in European and World events for U23, U21, U19 and U18.
- Croyde 2004- Academy of Beach Sports coach. Open door for all athletes who wish to be coached at Beach Volleyball. Lucy Bolton, Zara Dampney, Steve Fee, Joe Mildred, Chris White, plus many others. Over 30 players from the Grand Prix.
- Croyde 2002: Training Camp Croyde Junior Teams Olding/Cooper, Olding Weemes, for European U23 and World U18 Championships
- Tenerife 2002:Training Camp for Junior Team of Olding/Cooper two weeks
- Hermosa 2001:Training Camp for Junior Team Gooding/Pierce Two weeks. Junior Team Olding/Cooper 2 weeks.
- Croyde 2001: Training Camp for Olding/Cooper, Weaver/Hubbard in preparation for European U23 Championships
- Hermosa Beach LA 2001: Training Camp for Switzerland Junior team one weeks training.
- Heyford 2000: Performance Camp Heyford, introduction to beach volleyball for top junior players, Kerri Olding, Greg Weaver, Luke Sheaf.
- Croyde 1998: 10 day Performance Camp for Top female Juniors, George Poulton, Debbie Spokes, and Karen Ingham.
- Croyde June 1998: North Devon Secondary schools (13) All received volleyball coaching, top 2 boys and girls invited to attend three day beach volleyball introduction, followed by N.D. junior beach volleyball event.
- West Australian Junior Beach training, assistant coach during winter 1994-5.
Commentating cv
- 2023 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Finals Doha
- 2023 VW BPT Elite 16 Joao Pessoa
- 2023 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Mexico
- 2023 CEV European Mens Eurovolley Championships, Italy
- 2023 VW Beach Pro Tour
- 2022 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Italy
- 2022 VW Beach Pro Tour
- 2008 FIVB World U21 Championships England