State volleyball chance

St Brigid’s and Murtoa College volleyball teams will fly the flag for Wimmera volleyball when they take the court at Melbourne’s State Volleyball Centre on Friday for the School Sport Victoria senior state finals.

Both teams have progressed to the finals after winning all of their games at Black Ranges and Greater Western Zone finals in recent months.

The sides have been able to sustain their performances over a four-year period, starting their winning run while in year eight.

But taking the next step has been the hardest part, with many of the big metro schools such as Eltham, Maribyrnong and Monbulk forever standing in their way.

Murtoa College volleyball coach Shaun Bray said, to put it into context, a school such as Eltham has try outs for their junior boys’ team, in which upwards of 90 boys would be in line for selection.

“By comparison our schools are fortunate

to gather together just enough players to make it viable,” Bray said.

For the first time the draw has been very kind to the Wimmera schools, with both St Brigid’s College and Murtoa in Pool B, meaning they are on the opposite side of the draw to the big four schools in Eltham, Monbulk, Bendigo and Maribyrnong.

“When I saw the draw I couldn’t believe it, as we have been on the other side so many times in the past,” Bray said.

“When I saw the draw on Monday made my day.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see all four teams in Pool A beat each other, that’s how tight that side of the draw could be.”

Final preparation

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The Murtoa girls wrapped up their preparation with a practice match against Volleyball Horsham country champs girls’ team on Tuesday night.

“It was necessary to get Cleo Baker, Laelah Robertson and Hannah Whyte back into the team as they are now playing A Grade, while the rest of the girls have been playing together competition,” Bray said.

“The match play was from that perspective.”

The St Brigid’s College boys will be fine-tuning their game after going close to winning as an intermediate team last year, eventually going down to Monbulk in three tight sets in the final.

They will have an unusual preparation flying back from a school camp in Adelaide for the state finals.

Team captain Will Brennan said the side was excited moving forward.

“We can’t thank the school enough for giving us the opportunity to participate in the finals and doing what they have done for us,” he said.

“We owe it to the school to put our best foot forward.”

Games start at 9.30am on Friday at the State Volleyball Centre with semi finals and finals from 2pm. in the women’s really valuable