Over 200 volleyballers will descend on Horsham this weekend for round three of the Victorian Volleyball League, when Phantoms host the Melbourne Uni Renegades.
17 matches across eight divisions of both men and women over three courts at the Horsham Basketball and St Brigid’s College stadiums will be played, when the biggest volleyball competition in Australia comes to Horsham.
10 matches will be played on Saturday, all at the basketball stadium, with another seven on Sunday spread across both the basketball stadium and St Brigid’s College stadium.
The Melbourne Uni Renegades are the current premier women’s title holders while their premier men were runners up last year meaning volleyball enthusiasts will get to see some top flight action over the weekend.
In the premier men, Phantoms will be reeling after dropping their last game to Mazenod in a marathon five setter. The team attended a four hour training session in Bendigo last Saturday to iron out any kinks in their game, so they will be ready for whatever Renegades throw at them.
The premier men’s matches will be played at 7pm on Saturday and 12noon on Sunday.
In the premier women Renegades have started the season with two soft wins hardly being extended in beating Cobras and Heidelberg, while Phantoms had to tough out a four set win over Victoria University in their first game.
Renegades boast some of the best talent in the country including former Chinese youth team member Xi Xi, former Australian representative Eliza Smith while passer hitter Gwen Thornton is a player to watch.
Phantoms will welcome back key player Keely Knight. Knight is a versatile player who can play any position and her return will strengthen the team.
Volleyball Horsham members Kara Johnson and Tamikah Dockrill will play key roles in the Phantoms team. Johnson’s setting will be crucial to the outcome while Dockrill will be looking to improve on her first game in her role as middle blocker.
The premier women’s matches will be played on Saturday at 11am and 3pm.
From a Volleyball Horsham perspective all eyes will be on first gamers Hannah Whyte and Emily Hannan, and the returning Chloe Brown in the women’s division two.
Whyte has been good all pre-season and will play a key role as setter, while Hannan has made the switch to volleyball and will assume the libero role in her team. Brown, a former division two premiership player will take up the passer hitter role in a team that will be very even.
The division two women’s matches will be played at 1pm Saturday and 12noon on Sunday.
To compliment what will be a big day for the club Volleyball Horsham Phantoms members will be holding a junior clinic between 9am and 10am on Saturday morning at the basketball stadium.
The clinic is open to all junior boys and girls and will involve plenty of fun activities and volleyball related games.
Registrations are rolling in and as there are limited spaces available, all junior players are encouraged to register their participation by emailing info@volleyballhorsham.com.au by Friday night.
There are no admission charges to see the matches and a canteen will be in operation.
The full timetable of matches is as follows:-
Saturday (Horsham Basketball Stadium)
9am Junior clinic.
11am Premier women and Division 3 men.
1pm Division 2 women and Division 2 men.
3pm Premier women and Division 3 women.
5pm Reserves men and women.
7pm Premier men and division 2 women.
Sunday (Horsham Basketball Stadium)
10am Reserves men and women.
12pm Premier men and Division 2 women.
Sunday (St Brigid’s College)
9am Division 3 men.
11am Division 2 men.
1pm Division 3 women.
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