A MAJOR beach volleyball tournament is to be staged in Scotland for

the first time. Moreover, the event, arranged for November 20 to 22 to

mark the coming of the European Summit, is to be played indoors, at

Bankhead Industrial Estate in Glenrothes.

Fife Regional Council, seeking a sport with a continental flavour to

mark an ambitious Euro-Week, came up with beach volleyball. Colin

McGinlay, a lecturer at the Fife Institute in Glenrothes and the man

behind the move, said: ''Fife has some great beaches for volleyball.

It's just that the weather is so lousy.

''People in Britain have no idea how big-time beach volleyball is

elsewhere. For instance, the US could not field a full-strength team at

the Barcelona Olympics because some of their players were away making a

fortune on the beaches of South America.''

McGinlay has managed to persuade Glenrothes Development Corporation to

provide a vacant factory big enough for six courts, and a local quarry

is to supply 100 tonnes of sand to convert the area into a 'beach'.

It is hoped that 100 two-a-side teams, men and women, will play in the

event in beachwear. ''We can't afford to offer big money but there will

be some good prizes for the winners,'' said McGinlay.

Meanwhile, Glasgow Powerhouse went to the top of the women's first

division of the Royal Bank Scottish League when they beat Grangeburn

Coaches 15-3, 15-2, 15-2 in a rearranged fixture on Sunday, just 24

hours after they had overwhelmed Coatbridge 15-1, 15-4, 15-2.

The displays prompted Powerhouse coach Vince Krawczyk to say: ''There

is a new pride in our performance. I heard Andy Goram saying recently

that he gets upset with every goal he loses for Rangers. I can see my

players getting upset with every point they drop.''

''We've conceded only 51 points in total in five matches -- an average

of 10 a match -- and the girls are playing very professionally. I'd pay

good money to go and watch them.''