High school on the ball

THE volleyball players at Taroona High School are enjoying the biggest “block” party of their lives at the national championship this week.

A crew of 18 Taroona students — 25 including seven alumni now attending Hobart College — dominate the 45strong Tasmanian contingent and are competing in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup in Melbourne which started Monday.

The volleyball championship is the largest schools sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere.

The sporting trip is even more special for Taroona High as its players headed to Melbourne in time to watch their PE teacher Laura Coombe play in Women’s National Volleyball League for Tasmania on Sunday.

Coombe has been teaching volleyball to her Taroona tribe for the past few years and said the sport is taking hold.

“We’ve been teaching it for a couple of years now and this year it has really taken off,” she said. “We had 150 students play beach volleyball last week, which was incredible, so it has been really growing fast.”

Volleyball is perfect for mixed gender participation.

“I’ve got the nets up most lunchtimes and it’s great to see the boys and girls out there playing and learning their skills and it’s a great sport where they can all participate,” Coombe said.

The AVSC competition is for teams from around Australia, plus several internationals.