Ex-volleyballer Asha Thurlow shining in Premier League netball

FORMER Australian junior volleyballer Asha Thurlow is making her towering presence felt in Premier League netball.

A FORMER Australian junior volleyballer is making her towering presence felt in Premier League netball.

With 222 goals from eight games, Woods Panthers goal shooter Asha Thurlow is the fourth-highest scorer in SA’s top-flight competition and has been chosen in the state under-19s.

Thurlow, 17 and 191cm, is the youngest in her team and one of the tallest players in the competition.

She says focusing solely on netball after years of combining it with volleyball, in which she toured Thailand with an Australian junior development squad, has helped her improve.

“I wanted to pursue netball further and the training commitments wouldn’t allow me to do both sports,” Thurlow says.

“I’m doing Year 12 this year and was training up to seven times a week.”

Thurlow, of Flagstaff Hill, had already been playing netball for about seven years when she followed her older brother Axel, 19, into volleyball.

“He got into the SASI development squad and they saw me out at one training session before I went to netball training and asked if I wanted to join.”

Thurlow rose through the ranks to join the SA Sports Institute (SASI), represent SA’s under-17s and under-19s, and earn selection on an Australian junior squad.

She also made the state under-19 beach volleyball squad last year.

Thurlow had played netball for Happy Valley and Matrics before switching to Woods Panthers three seasons ago.

The Blackwood High student was part of the Croweaters’ squad that finished third at last month’s Australian under-19 netball championships.