State teams in Horsham

Preparations for Vic West state volleyball teams will ramp up this weekend in Horsham, when three teams host a training camp and participate in a mini tournament.

Volleyball Horsham has six members heading to National Junior Volleyball Championships on the Gold Coast, on the last week of the school holidays.

Cleo and Lloyd Baker, Laelah Robertson, Will Saligari, Tuskan Mcalpine and Tamikah Dockrill will all be training and playing this weekend.

The Vic West program is different to the regular program in that the team’s training is at camps based in country areas, rather than the commitment of travelling to Melbourne on a weekly basis.

The club has been able to get Robertson and Dockrill a leave pass from their regular Melbourne training in order for them to have respite from weekly travel and give them an opportunity to gain valuable match play on Sunday in the mini tournament.

The under-15 and under-17 boys will train at Horsham Basketball Stadium on Saturday, while the under-17 girls will train at Horsham’s St Brigid’s College.

It would have been nice to have all the teams under the one roof, like we have been able to do when we’ve trained in Warrnambool, Mildura and Bendigo, but that is something we can hopefully look forward to when future state teams are in Horsham.

The mini tournament on Sunday, at St Brigid’s College, will pit the best that Volleyball Horsham can put on the court in both men’s and women’s teams against each of the state teams.

The nucleus of division one and two country championship men’s and women’s teams are likely to be playing, which is great to see.

Murtoa College elective teams will also be playing, with the college girls gaining valuable match play in the lead-up to a national schools cup later in the year.

The most vital part of each state team’s preparation is the ability to get match play. Getting the best that Volleyball Horsham can put together will ensure the games are played with strong intensity, giving the state team coaches a good look at their players under match pressure, similar to what they can expect at the nationals.

Training starts at noon on Saturday and the mini tournament starts at 9am on Sunday.