April 26th, 2022The ARC and 13 years of community volleyball

YES, some people say 13 is a unlucky number but to the students and adults of Daylesford who have learnt new skills, teamwork, leadership and personal development, got a little bit fit, made some new friends and most of all are having great fun, 13 is just a number.

Daylesford Volleyball Association runs volleyball on Monday nights in mixed competitions with juniors from 6 pm, social from 7 pm and open division from 8pm. The association also enters junior and adult teams in a few weekend tournaments throughout Victoria and encourages students to try out for Victorian state junior teams. So far, 10 juniors have been selected in state teams over the last 13 years and played at the Australian Championships, to be held in Bendigo this year.

Daylesford Primary School acknowledges the huge benefit of volleyball to the community and places volleyball on their curriculum in the fourth term. This enables the association to conduct volleyball classes, run a lunchtime competition with students and teachers and then an all-day volleyball tournament at the ARC, umpired and coached by volleyball players from Daylesford College.

The association also conducts PE classes at Daylesford College and helps select and train the school teams for the Eureka Division School Volleyball competition which is conducted at the ARC each year.
In the recent senior and intermediate divisions, three of the four teams from Daylesford won their divisions against teams from the Ballarat area. They will now go on to play at the Greater Western Region Championships in May. In previous years a girls team has finished third at the Victoria State Championships, pictured right, out of more than 400 schools and a boys team has finished fourth, pictured far right. A fantastic effort for a small shire like Hepburn.
New volleyball competition commences on Monday, May 2 at the ARC in Smith Street, Daylesford from 7pm for adults and senior students. Cost is $2 for students and $5 for adults. No experience is necessary, just the ability to make new friends and have fun. Contact Colin Priest on 0447 487 674.

Words & images: Colin Priest – Victorian state coach

Above, back row, Dean Homicki, Gary Thomas, Stewart Jonas, Martin Steinocker & Doug May, front row Andrew Cooper, Andrew Denis & Florian Holfinger

Centre, back row Colin Priest (coach) Sienna Milton, Lauren O’Brien, Sophie Elderfield, Ruby Hunt & Eve Britten, front row, Asha Loft, Jess Vanderberg & Kira Vanderberg

Below, back row, Charles Evans, Will Boskov, Oscar McLucas, Scott Kinnear, Colin Priest, front, Front Banjo Kinnear, Tom Cox, Adam Leonard & Ollie Rose