Sport
13 August, 2024
Strong start to Volleyball Horsham season for new-look Phantoms women
Phantoms won its second match of the season in three sets.
Last season's premier women's team, Phantoms, has set the pace with two strong performances to start the new season.
Sporting a new-look team, Phantoms, with new players Casey Quick and Mia Geue, recorded a comprehensive win over Heidelberg, blowing their opposition off the court in the first two sets.
Heidelberg reset their line-up in the third and pushed the Phantoms all the way, only to go down 23-25.
However, they did salvage something from the wreckage, taking the fourth set and gaining a premiership point, which could prove decisive come season's end.
Ballbusters made short work of an undermanned Lakers outfit, winning four sets.
Kymberley Murray, ably supported by Alysha Cozens, was back to her powerful best.
The under-19 girls' team, preparing for the upcoming junior country champs, scored an encouraging win over Tsunami.
Clare Whyte set well, and Paige Hemley was a presence on the net.
Von Steiger Sisters jumped into the four in the Women's B competition with a four-set win over Stars.
May Rosello and Meg Armstrong were consistent for the Sisters, while Emily Johns tried hard for her Stars team.
Ladybugs took bragging rights against fellow Lutheran school team Thorns in a close three-setter with Bonnie Grieger and Victoria Brown to the fore while Matilda Horvat was good for Thorns.
Strong entries for junior championships
The early bird entries for the junior country championships, which will be held in Horsham on the long weekend in September, have closed, and early indications show good representation from across the state.
Teams will represent South Gippsland, Latrobe Valley, Warrnambool, Sunraysia, Geelong and Mildura Academy.
Volleyball Horsham will be represented in all six divisions, in a great showing of support from regional associations.
Entries are still being taken until the end of the month, and organisers expect further interest from Bendigo, Macedon Ranges, Albury Wodonga, and possibly Shepparton.
The pilot event, being held for the first time as stand-alone junior championships, will showcase junior volleyball talent from regional Victoria in the under-19, 17 and 15 age groups.
State league dream still alive
Tyler Snowden's state league premiership quest with his Phantoms team is still alive following a massive five-set quarter-final win over Latrobe Uni.
Things weren't looking all that good after the team dropped the first two sets, 23-25 and 24-26, but some strategic changes settled the team down, and they bounced back to win 25-19 and 25-23 and force the game into a deciding fifth set.
The team held their nerve and came out on top, winning 15-12.
This set up a semi-final clash with either Derrimut Knights or KVA Future Stars on Saturday, August 17.
A win would advance the team to the grand final the following week.