Volleyball
14 June, 2025
Silver for volleyball stars
Volleyball Horsham’s division one women’s team has returned from the Victorian Country Volleyball Championships with a silver medal.
Facing off against arch rivals Bendigo, the Volleyball Horsham girls displayed great heart and attacking skills but couldn’t sustain their efforts for a complete set going down in straight sets, to make it three silver medals in four years, in the post-Covid period.
Team captain Kara Johnson said her girls had to do it the hard way to qualify for the finals, after an upset five set loss to Warrnambool to start day two, winning three of their six round robin games.
“In our final game on Sunday evening, the girls had to beat Bendigo or at least take two sets off the undefeated ladder leaders to qualify, and after taking the first set 25-16, the team was on track to keep their finals hopes alive," she said.
“The second set went to Bendigo as they ramped up their attack, but to our girls credit they fought back and took the third set, which effectively sealed second spot on the ladder.
“But we were determined to show Bendigo that we could compete and we gave our all and despite losing in five sets in the end, our game was coming together nicely, giving us confidence going into the gold medal match.”
The final started with both teams trading some big blows as Cleo Baker got on a roll for Volleyball Horsham, matched by Bendigo’s classy Elsie Rodgers-Rutledge.
At 17-17 Bendigo’s Steph Davis served four aces as the Volleyball Horsham receivers couldn’t land a pass, and then Rodgers-Rutledge served two aces and the first set was effectively over.
Johnson said her girls didn’t drop their bundle and again matched Bendigo for most of the second set.
“But Elsie got us again on serve at a crucial stage, while despite the best efforts of our frontline defense, we couldn’t stop their attack.”
The team was brave in the third set throwing in a change of line up and playing positions, but Bendigo were able to sustain their efforts eventually winning 25-18.
Johnson was full of praise for her young team.
“The good thing about both of our division one teams is that we gave younger players a taste of division one competition," she said.
"They will learn from that and only make our teams better going forward."
In other divisions, a men’s division one team lost the bronze medal match to Latrobe Valley in three close sets.
“The team went in undermanned and despite taking sets off both Bendigo and Latrobe Valley in the round robin games, we couldn’t sustain our efforts in the bronze medal match.”
“This competition is brutal, with a high level of play, and when you have teams with elite level players at their disposal, our boys can hold their heads high for having a crack.”
“It’s our 50th anniversary next year so we are starting the planning now for our teams to make 2026 memorable.”
The Volleyball Horsham division three teams showed marked improvement on last year with a girls’ team finishing fifth and a boys’ team ninth.
Boys’ team coach Justin Brilliant said the focus will now switch to the Junior Country Championships for these teams.
“Both team were quite young for Open competition, setting them up nicely for their Junior Country Championships, so we are looking forward to seeing them take the improvement they made out of this weekend into that campaign.”
All Star Seven teams were announced at the end of the tournament with Volleyball Horsham’s Kara Johnson taking MVP and All Star Seven honors in division one women, while Sophie Quick was voted as the best libero.