National gold for Murtoa team
The sport of volleyball has received another positive shot in the arm in the region following a Murtoa College gold-medal performance at National Schools Cup in Melbourne.
The college’s year-10 division-two girls team won gold, bouncing back from a silver medal in 2017.
The Murtoa team reversed the result against Loxton in the final, winning 25-22, 20-25, 15-7, clinching the title amid scenes of euphoria at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
It was a gold medal 12 months in the making, with the girls all part of an elective program at Murtoa College, endorsed by principal Tony Goodwin and delivered by teacher Shaun Bray.
The program enabled the girls to spend plenty of time on individual skill development as well as team development, which in the end proved to be extremely beneficial to the outcome.
Teaching the girls how to play all the positions on the court enabled team leaders to change the line up at any given time to ensure it stayed ahead of the opposition.
The team’s fortunes were given a massive boost when key player Laelah Robertson recovered from a knee injury in time to play.
The side couldn’t believe its luck when Laelah got the go-ahead to play. Given she was carried off in a wheelchair five weeks earlier, members thought they would never see her again, let alone see her dominate as she did.
The team lost its opening game to Loxton and then proceeded to win the next five games in its pool to finish second.
An easy repechage win over Cannon Hill from Queensland set the team up for a gold-medal qualifier against Lyneham, ACT, which it won in a nail-biting finish after dropping the first set.
To win eight of nine games was amazing, and full credit to the girls for focusing and holding their nerve.
“To win a gold medal at nationals is no easy task and you have to have a lot of things go your way,” Bray said.
“The girls embraced the challenge throughout the build up, making finals in both Bendigo and Horsham tournaments.
“While they lost each time, they would have learned plenty. To get those quality games under our belt helped us a lot.”
Bray was full of praise for the tremendous support provided to his team.
“From my assistant Delaney Wills and team manager Jo Baker, to our principal Tony Goodwin and all the parents and friends who got behind the team, it all adds up to a positive culture, one which only helps to get the results you can only dream of,” he said.
“We look forward with great excitement and anticipation because we have seen in the past just how influential a result like this has on the sport in the school.”