National medals at titles
Amassive week of volleyball on Queensland’s Gold Coast has led to three Volleyball Horsham members returning with National Junior Volleyball Championship medals.
Representing Vic Blue in championship division, Murtoa College’s Laelah Robertson won a silver medal, while fellow Murtoa College youngsters Cleo Baker and Kara Johnson, representing Vic Gold in division one, returned with a bronze medal.
Robertson’s team did well to make the gold medal game after its key hitter went down with an ankle injury on day two, while Robertson herself tweaked her ankle on day four and had to sit out a few games.
Robertson was doing well in the earlier games, but was not at her best in the final, which her team lost in straight sets to Queensland.
She will assess the injury upon her return but will probably need a few weeks off. Her aim will be to return in time for the tournament season, which starts in Bendigo in three weeks’ time.
Baker’s Vic Gold team played 12 round-robin games, winning eight.
The four losses came against eventual gold medallist Queensland twice, and silver medallist Vic White, twice.
Qualifying third, Baker’s team took on New South Wales in the bronze medal match, which it won in a two-hour five-set marathon.
Assistant coach Kara Johnson said at two sets to one down things were not looking good.
“But Cleo stood tall and was a key contributor in her team’s fight back,” she said.
“This tournament is full on, from the first game to the last.
“It only takes a slight drop in concentration and you’ll find yourself behind the eight ball, and that’s what happened to our team.
“Our girls played the fourth and fifth sets strongly.
“The tough competition they played during the state league season, where they played many five setters, proved the difference in the end.”
Lloyd Baker and Tuskan Mcalpine’s Vic Gold team lost its bronze medal match in four sets, while Will Saligari’s Vic Gold team also went down in its bronze medal match.
Tamikah Dockrill’s Vic White under-19 team only won one match, but the youngster was certainly noticed by key people at Volleyball Australia and her opportunities will come.
With possible changes to this event mooted for the future, including the introduction of under-16 and under-18 divisions, never before have opportunities to represent your state been so within reach.
Volleyball Australia is doing its utmost to increase participation and the potential changes will be good for the sport.
The future does look bright and those who attended this past week will be wonderful ambassadors for the sport in the Wimmera going forward.
I was pleased for all our members and they certainly represented their state, associations and families with great pride.
They all did Volleyball Horsham proud.