Ballarat challenge

The final senior tournament for the year will be in Ballarat this weekend and Volleyball Horsham will send two competitive teams.

After playing off in the finals of division two at a recent Bendigo tournament, Volleyball Horsham teams will look to repeat that effort in Ballarat’s 39th annual ‘skins’ event.

Nathan Berry and Tim Popple will again lead the men’s team, and they will welcome into the side 2017 Country Champs division two All Star Chris Radford and premier setter Cam Robinson.

They replace unavailable Jack Hannan and Shaun Bray from the team that swept all before them in Bendigo.

For the girls, Kara Johnson will lead a much younger team into battle this time with key middle Chloe Wilson and pass-hitter Emily Hannan replacing experienced trio Delaney Wills, Mercedes Arnott and Chloe Brown.

This team will have an average age of 17, so it will be a good opportunity for younger players to get valuable match play.

The men face off against three metro teams and will renew acquaintances with the Bendigo Academy boys in what should be another good test for the side.

The girls will enjoy playing against Sunraysia, Ballarat, Warrnambool and Dandenong and will be favoured to reach the final again.

It has been a big year for all members, starting all the way back in Warrnambool in March, followed by the country championships in Horsham, State League then Bendigo and now Ballarat.

In all of these events Volleyball Horsham teams have acquitted themselves well, and we expect the same again this weekend.

Matches begin at 9am on Saturday with the men at Wendouree Netball Centre and the girls at Loreto College. Games continue on Sunday from 8am with finals about 2pm.