Record numbers
With entries officially closing tonight, irrespective of how many are received, the 28th edition of the Volleyball Horsham annual tournament will host a record number of teams.
Sixty-three teams have entered the tournament so far, obliterating the record numbers of last year’s event of 47.
Volleyball Horsham vice-president Vaughn Maroske said the association thought it was doing well with numbers last year, but this year had ‘completely blown us away’.
“This has made our tournament the second biggest in Victoria this year, with only Warrnambool, which used the three-day long weekend in March, in front of us,” he said. “We’re pretty proud of this.” Thirty-nine men’s teams and 24 women’s teams make up the entries, with six divisions in the men’s draw and four in the women’s draw across November 18 and 19.
“We had to close entries early for all of the men’s divisions, and the premier women’s entries had to be closed off early as well, as they filled up in advance of the closing date,” Mr Maroske said.
The number of entries has put pressure on the stadiums in Horsham, as all the available court space will be used.
“Ten courts will be used and for the first time in 25 years volleyball will return to the Ian Maroske Hall at Horsham College,” Vaughn Maroske said.
“The junior boys’ division will play out of the Ian Maroske Hall and it is quite fitting for those juniors, as they will follow in the footsteps of some illustrious former Volleyball Horsham members in David Abud, Darren Franks, Craig Baker, Steve Jolley, Rodney Berry and Mandy and Katrina Mcintyre, who started their decorated careers out of that very hall.
“Hopefully a little bit of their magic still exists in the hallowed bowels of that famous old hall and rubs off on the next generation.”
Volleyball Horsham will look to enter 12 teams into the tournament, resulting in about 50 percent of members participating, in an overwhelming level of interest being shown.
With 10 divisions on offer, there will be a division for all standards of players, giving them the opportunity to experience a level above where they are at present.
“As long as they enjoy themselves, learn and improve that’s all that matters from the association’s perspective,” Mr Maroske said.
The entries are spearheaded by current back-to-back premier men’s tournament champions BBJSC Pakenham, while Renegades have returned in the premier women’s division.
The multicultural nature of the sport will be on full display, with teams representing various ethnic communities from Melbourne and Adelaide participating.
“The premier men’s division is the strongest I’ve seen. So much so, that our rebuilding men’s team will be playing in the premier two division in this tournament, after competing for a number of years in the top division,” Mr Maroske said.
Preliminary finals
Hellenic Nuggets and Tsunami will go head-to-head in tonight’s A Grade preliminary final with the winner left to take on Phantoms in next week’s grand final and curtains to the loser.
In the battle of two schools, HTLC Tigers will square-off against Stars, representing Horsham College, in the B Grade preliminary, while in the women’s competition Lakers and Birds of Prey will kick off the night. Finals start at 6pm and will be played on the hour.