POOLE’S Zara Dampney hailed Team GB’s Olympic beach volleyball debut as a “phenomenal” experience after digging deep to secure an absorbing three-set victory over Canada at Horse Guards Parade.

Dampney and team-mate Shaun Mullin delighted the partisan home crowd by prevailing on a typically British afternoon, dropping a set behind as the rain fell on Westminster before rallying for an emphatic victory as the sun finally broke through the gloom.

The pair showed flashes of real quality on their way to a gripping 17-21, 21-14, 15-13 victory in Pool F, which leaves them well placed to continue their Olympic journey beyond the preliminary phase.

Former Wessex ace Mullin and Dampney, an ex-Parkstone Grammar School pupil, had a little taste of Horse Guards Parade at a pre-Olympic test event a year ago, but with centre court now a 15,000-seater venue rather than 1,500, Sunday’s match provided them with a wholly new experience not to be forgotten in a hurry.

“It was amazing,” said Dampney. “We kind of had a taster when we did the test event last year but this was just unbelievable, even more phenomenal.

“We just wanted to relax, enjoy it, play volleyball the way we know we can, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

“People were having a good time, the crowd was really amazing, they really got behind us. When things got close we never gave up, we didn’t want to let the crowd down or let Great Britain down.”

Mullin and Dampney have worked hard just to reach the Games, emerging victorious from a long battle with Denise Johns and Lucy Boulton for the right to represent Team GB, and both looked delighted to finally step out on the Olympic stage to face Marie-Andree Lessard and Annie Martin at the start of the contest.

Sadly the weather had not read the script, with the rain that had blighted much of the day belligerently refusing to clear ahead of the match, and no doubt contributing to the unexpectedly low attendance figure of just 9,800.

With home emotions running high it was perhaps no surprise that it was the Canadians who settled quickest, with the British pair – the country’s first female Olympic representatives in the sport since 1996 – wobbling early on.

Canada looked confident and controlled as they took the first set, despite the fact Mullin and Dampney gave plenty to keep them occupied.

The home side finally delivered on their threat in the next, responding to the arrival of the late-afternoon sunshine with a string of aces – five in total during the match for Dampney – and a flurry of spikes from the hand of Mullin.

Another spike sealed the second set to force a decider, which, with the score in the balance at 11-11, turned on a brace of inventive flicks at the net by the quick-thinking Mullin.

Mullin and Dampney now turn their attention turn to their next pool outing against Italy’s Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti today.