HORSHAM will send away its biggest contingent to Victorian Country Volleyball Championships at Geelong this weekend.
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Horsham Volleyball Association has entered a men's division one team, women's division two and an under-17 boys team, with the under-17 boys looking to make it three successive country championship titles.
The men's division one team will look to Lachie Robinson, Matthew Berry and Tim Ladlow to carry them through, and realistically they could be playing off for a medal this year after tasting division one for the first time last year, and returning good results at both Warrnambool and Ballarat this year.
They face strong opposition from Mornington, Geelong, Bendigo, Warrnambool, Korumburra and Latrobe Valley.
The women's division two team is an under-18 team headed by Caitlin Story and Lucy Alexander, both girls in the first six for their Victorian Gold under-19 team. They will look to Emma Avery, Siobhan Robinson and Sophie Alexander to provide good support.
With seven games over the weekend fitness will play a big part, and the girls having youth on their side could sneak into the medal play-offs come Monday. The under-17 boys will have Bendigo, Sunraysia and Korumburra as their opposition, and should face Bendigo in the final for the fourth time in four years on Monday morning.
They have been training strongly, and with five players in the Victorian Gold under-17 team they will be hard to beat. They have struck up a strong rapport with the Bendigo players with the majority being part of the Victorian Blue and Gold teams, so when they play each other, it will be a showcase of the strength of junior volleyball in both centres. Kye Chapple, Joel Ladlow and Ryan O'Connor will be the key players for this team.
Three youngsters will play in their very first country championships. Nathan Berry, Blair Avery and Cam Robinson will be looking to gain experience for the future, because the younger brothers have enjoyed a consistent season in the juniors this year.
Preliminary matches start tomorrow morning and continue on Sunday, with bronze and gold medal matches to be played on Monday, in all divisions.
The teams
Men's division one: Dimitrios Vettos, Tim Ladlow, Matthew Berry, Brenton Price, invited, Lachie Robinson, Brady King, Matt Liston, Tim Eldridge. Coach: Lachie Robinson.
Women's division two: Emma Avery, Sophie Alexander, Lucy Alexander, Siobhan Robinson, Alysha Liston, Emma Bos, Caitlin Story, Ash Davidson. Coach: Rhys Alexander.
Boys under-17: Chris Radford, Todd Klemm, Joel Ladlow, Ryan O'Connor, Nathan Berry, Kye Chapple, Blair Avery, Cameron Robinson, Firas Naji, James Wood. Coach: Craig O'Connor.
David Berry, Horsham
Volleyball Association
