Schools battle in volleyball titles

Black Ranges year-seven and eight volleyball titles tomorrow will see all four schools that support Volleyball Horsham’s junior competition fielding teams.

Horsham, Murtoa and Horsham’s St Brigid’s and Holy Trinity Lutheran colleges will all be represented.

Most schools will be fielding more than one team in each year level, necessitating the need to split the day over two venues.

Volleyball Horsham president David Berry said this was another prime example of why Horsham Rural City Council should get on with the job of building the multi-purpose stadium.

“With volleyball numbers on the increase and schools supporting the sport, it’s days like these that we as associations get the opportunity to showcase our sport,” he said.

“I know for a fact that schools have to double their teacher numbers for this day because of the requirement to split the competition over two venues.”

On the court, the year-seven boys competition will be close fought.

St Brigid’s College has strong players in Bailey Brennan, Jed Hermans and Charlie Heinrich, potentially setting the college up for the title.

“Murtoa College has a good group of

year-seven girls who play together in the Volleyball Horsham junior competition,” Berry said.

“With players such as Millie Fagan and Ella Van Duren involved, Murtoa will go in favorites.

“The boys year-eight competition will be a battle between Lutheran and Murtoa colleges. Both teams have players that play domestically, with Murtoa looking to Rhys Hemley, Bailey Mathrick and Will Gellatly.

“Lutheran has experienced players in Joey Nagorcka, Kaden Lanyon and Harry Robertson. The battle between Nagorcka and Mathrick will go a long way to deciding the winner.”

Berry said in the year-eight girls division, St Brigid’s has been performing consistently in domestic competition, with Rylee Hateley, Tat Nelson and Jasmine Mcintyre key players.

“But Horsham College and Murtoa College will be hard to beat, with both teams filled with players who participate in the domestic competition,” he said.

“It all points to a great day of school volleyball and a glowing advertisement of how beneficial playing in our domestic competition assists schools with their development in this sport. This is something that Volleyball Horsham prides itself on.”