Girls’ teams outnumber the boys’ teams in this years’ National Volleyball Schools Cup!
With a big increase in the number of girls’ teams competing in the 2011 Volleyball Schools Cup, Adelaide High School entered two teams for the first time in this years’ competition. With games being played at both the State Volleyball Centre and The Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, the scene was set for a massive sporting event with over 450 teams competing. The students arrived in Melbourne on Sunday December 4 and, after an intensive training session on the courts, they attended the Opening Ceremony where Adelaide High School received a 15 year participation award for its involvement in the Volleyball Schools Cup (1997-2011). For the next five days the city of Melbourne was host to an exciting display of talent as the Volleyball stadiums hosted the best teams from across the nation.
The Open Girls team, coached by Jarrad David-Smith, faced a tough challenge in the first two rounds, with games against Greenwood and Mountain Creek. The game against Heathdale saw both teams win a set each with the final set decided by only a couple of points. Adelaide narrowly missed out on a win. On the third day of the competition Adelaide broke into the winning circle with a solid win against Renmark and continued the success with a comfortable win over Mercedes WA. The game against Loxton was an exciting encounter with each set decided by only two points. After numerous rallies and some impressive serves and spikes, the pressure became too much for the team and Adelaide lost the third set. On the final day the Open Girls finished the competition with a win in the ‘playoff’ round. Highlights of the tour included Kahlia Gronthoss 18 straight serves, Nadia Markov’s desperation to always attack the ball, Maya Dennie’s consistent passing and Kate Luders’ defensive blocking. Kahlia Gronthos won the Best & Fairest Award, Nadia Markov was awarded the prize for Runner Up and the Coaches’ Award went to Hester Green.
After displaying potential during the State Schools Volleyball Cup, the Under 15 Girls’ Division 1 Team, under the guidance of Dani Reid, began the competition with a close encounter against Brisbane High. After convincingly winning the first set, the Adelaide team was challenged by the opposition in the second set and lost narrowly 25-23. The third and final set was tight with our girls just missing out on a win. After two close encounters with both Upwey and Luther, which were also decided in the third set, Adelaide were confronted with the powerful Rossmoyne who went on to play off in the Medal Round. The Under 15 Girls were definitely competitive and, despite winning a few sets and pushing the opposition teams to the limit, they were unable to win a game. Lily Gu and Sophia Tsouvallas both received MVP Awards. The entire team displayed promise with Natasha Jovic featuring as the most consistent server while Mia Smith, who captained the side, was awarded the Best Team Player for her setting on the court. Playing against tough competition served to further develop the girls’ skill level and increase their awareness of techniques and team strategies. It was great to see all of the girls gain confidence and bond as a team. The overall experience will certainly benefit the girls when they take up the challenge next year. Special thanks to Heather Westwood and Lucy Plisko for managing the teams and assisting with coaching.
Greg Maher
Girls’ Sport Coordinator