Win 10 years in the making
Ahometown men’s division one Horsham tournament title might be the catalyst for a gold-medal bid at Victorian Country Championships in Bendigo in 2019.
Volleyball Horsham’s elite men are sizing up the championships after breaking a sixyear hoodoo to win the blue-ribbon tournament division at the weekend.
7KH +RUVKDP WHDP VFRUHG D WKULOOLQJ ¿YH set victory over six-time champion Mazenod, 10 years after upsetting Padua Sharks to win the title in 2008.
$QG WKH ZLQ ZDV ¿WWLQJ FRQVLGHULQJ WKH weekend was all about honoring the late Harry Denson and his contribution to volleyball and his mates.
Seven of the nine boys involved in that 2008 victory were back for a special ‘Harry’s match’ during the tournament, so it was a poignant result.
Harry’s match also proved to be a winner, with a near capacity crowd on hand to watch the tribute.
Volleyball Horsham could not have been more proud of all involved in the match and especially the people who supported it. We cannot thank them enough.
Both teams traded blows throughout the PDUDWKRQ WZR KRXU PHQ¶V GLYLVLRQ RQH ¿QDO ZLWK +RUVKDP WDNLQJ WKH ¿UVW VHW RQ WKH EDFN of deft play which caught the Mazenod defence on the back foot.
Mazenod responded through its middle attackers and took the second set, but Horsham bounced back to take the third as the home side rediscovered touch.
Mazenod continued to pound winners to take the fourth set and tie the match at two sets all.
7KH ¿IWK VHW ZDV DOO DERXW ZKR FRXOG KROG their nerve and it just happened to be the Horsham team.
Cam Robinson hit a big winner with the score at 16-all to send Nick Adamson back to the serving line. A Robinson block then sent the Mazenod defence into desperation play to keep the ball alive.
A technical back row call on the Mazenod opposite then gave Horsham the point and the win, prompting scenes of joy and elation.
The win was relevant preparation for next year given the country championships is the only title Volleyball Horsham’s division one men have failed to win.
The boys are pumped to try to rectify that record on their CVS.
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8QIRUWXQDWHO\ IRU RXU ER\V WHDP LW ZDV SRXQGHG LQWR VXEPLVVLRQ E\ 7HDP 8QLWHG¶V 200-centimetre passer-hitter who seemed to get taller as the tournament progressed.
The side was good for a division two team, and wouldn’t have been out of place in diviVLRQ RQH VR IRU RXU ER\V WR WDNH LW WR ¿YH ZDV a great effort.
,Q DQ DOO +RUVKDP MXQLRU ER\V ¿QDO 6W Brigid’s College Raptors defeated a Horsham Academy team in straight sets.
In a replay of a women’s division three ¿QDO IURP %HQGLJR WKUHH ZHHNV DJR 0XUWRD College went down to Sunraysia in four sets.
A women’s division-one title went to MelERXUQH 8QL 5HQHJDGHV ZKLFK GHIHDWHG 9LF West under-17 girls, featuring Horsham’s 7DPLNDK 'RFNULOO LQ ¿YH VHWV
The Vic West girls upset Volleyball HorshDP¶V ZRPHQ¶V WHDP WR PDNH WKH ¿QDO
Overall it was great to have the tournament back on and Volleyball Horsham will continue to rebuild the event in order to get the numbers back to near capacity.