Volleyballers take on Aussies - and win
The Te Totara boys volleyball team were so good they had the opposition dipping into their pockets, whipping out their phones and hurriedly searching on Google in an attempt to try and discover where exactly they were was from.
It turns out the first result is a primary school from Hamilton.
The Te Totara team is in fact a combination team featuring the best secondary schools players from across the top of the south.
The boys team included players from Waimea College, Nayland College, Nelson College and Marlborough Boys’ College while the girls were selected from Waimea, Nelson College for Girls and Marlborough Girls’ College.
The two squads flew the flag for Nelson Bays Volleyball at the Queensland Schools Cup, played at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre in Carrara earlier this month.
The boys team made it all the way to the final where they eventually triumphed over Craigslea State High School 3-2. They finished the tournament with a 6-1 record, getting revenge on Craigslea in the decider after earlier losing to them in pool play.
Waimea’s Tane MacDonald was named tournament MVP. The Te Totara girls team finished eighth place with a 1-5 record.
Allan and Pamela Brodie of Nelson Bays Volleyball were instrumental figures in making the trip possible and coach Josh Ovsenek said the intention was to create more opportunities for players in the top of the south, particularly at a time where they are not already tied up with their respective school teams.
‘‘For some of them this is a sport that they would like to play all year round so it gives them that opportunity to,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s like naming your provin- cial squad and going away and playing that way.
‘‘The level was as good if not better than what we would be playing as a school in a schools event [in New Zealand] and the Australians were actually quite excited about the fact that we were there and it ended up being a fantastic final and a cool opportunity for all involved.’’
Ovsenek said it was an extremely successful venture and one Nelson Bays Volleyball plans to do again in the future.
‘‘For the boys this probably the biggest thing they have ever won,’’ he said.