Volleyball
24 June, 2025
Volleyball premierships on the line
Hellenic Nuggets will be going all out to reverse last season’s grand final result when they line up against Phantoms in Volleyball Horsham’s A grade grand final on Wednesday night.
Phantoms have been the yardstick team this season, finishing on top of the ladder and winning a four-set second semi-final over their opponents.
Hellenic Nuggets bounced back last week when they defeated Rangers in the preliminary final, and will welcome back key setter Kara Johnson to a team that showed great resilience and defensive strength in their win over Rangers.
Captain Dimitrios Vettos said he was pleased how his team performed in the preliminary final.
“I thought we defended really well and forced Rangers to play one extra rally which ended up going to our advantage," Vettos said.
“Lloyd Baker got his hands on plenty of blocks, forcing the Rangers attackers to change their attack patterns, while he was outstanding in attack.
"It was like the Lloyd of old.”
Phantoms captain Tyler Puls said he was wary of his opponents as they had been the second-best team all season for a reason.
“Dimitrios leads by example and he is awkward to play against with his variety of attacks, while Lloyd and Loucas Vettos are strong middle blockers," Puls said.
“But we have Alex Baker in good touch while Noah Werry is making good choices with his setting.
“It will be a great game.”
In the women’s A grade grand final top team Phantoms will do battle with the young Nuggets team in what is shaping up as a grand final for the ages.
Phantoms won the second semi coming from behind to win in five sets over Lakers, while Nuggets have done it the hard way, having to win cut throat first semi and then preliminary final to make the grand final.
Phantoms captain Lily Adams said she was confident her team had the arsenal to beat their younger opponents.
“Cleo Baker and Sophie Quick are experienced players now and will get great service from our setter Kara Johnson," Adams said.
“We know Nuggets have been playing well over the past month and are a dangerous team.”
Nuggets captain Clare Whyte said she was pleased with how her team had been playing and was going into the grand final with a positive attitude.
“We’ve got nothing to lose is how we are going to approach it because we have been playing each final as our last and it has served us well so far," Whyte said.
It will be a huge night at St Brigid’s College Stadium for Volleyball Horsham, with eight grand finals to be decided.
The first two grand finals start at 5pm, with games on the hour after that.
The women’s A grand final starts at 6pm with the A grade at 7pm in what promises to be another great night of volleyball.