School punches above its weight
The Matamata College Girls’ A volleyball team took out the Waikato secondary schools volleyball championship final in what was described as their ‘‘dream game’’.
The team won 3 nil against Hillcrest High School.
The girls had not during the season.
Coach Andrew Kilham said the team ‘‘blew me away, absolutely loved it’’.
The competition ran for five weeks each Saturday at Fraser High School and the final was held on March 15 at Hamilton Boys’ High School.
Captain Caitlin Langlands said the girls put in 120 per cent.
‘‘We played the dream said.
‘‘Everyone was so determined. I was really proud of the effort everyone put in,’’ she said.
The team had to make it into the top four in order to get into the semi finals where they won against St Peter’s School, Cambridge.
Eighteen teams across the Waikato competed.
Caitlin was also named most player of the tournament.
‘‘It was really exciting and honourable because there were two other people who are in the New Zealand squad who were in the Waikato competition, so I was stoked to get it over them,’’ Caitlin said. ‘‘She deserved it,’’ Mr Kilham said. Coaches of other teams who were not playing in the finals, including the coach of the under 17 New Zealand team, decided on the award.
defeated
Hillcrest
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Caitlin
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‘‘Apparently it was a unanimous decision which was cool,’’ Caitlin said.
‘‘It’s good the other coaches see me as a top player.’’
The team left for Palmerston North on Sunday where they will compete in the week long national championship.
Caitlin and Mr Kilham hope to make, and even perhaps win division 1. Sixty-four teams will be competing. ‘‘Because Matamata is a small school we definitely punch above our weight and give the bigger schools a run for their money,’’ Caitlin said.