65+ players: State, Australian representatives named as best on court at AVSC 2023

The Australian Volleyball Schools Cup is well underway on the Gold Coast for 2023. We reveal the top players from every team in the Open and Year 11 Honours plus Division 1. See the full list here:

The Australian Volleyball Schools Cup is well underway on the Gold Coast for 2023.

We reveal the top players from teams in the open honours, year 11 honours, year 12 and year 11 division 1.

PLUS: See the finals gallery for senior honours here

MARIBYRNONG OBH

Morris Armstrong

Opposite/ passhit

Armstrong boasts a huge swing, powerful contact, and makes up for his shorter stance with an impressive vertical leap.

Brock Dingley

Passhit/ utility

Offers a damaging outside hitting option and can gain vertical advantage with minimal approach. Dingley understands his blocking options and is hard to fool with a tip.

MAZENOD OBH

Dylan Bingham

Libero

A tenacious chaser putting his body on the line. Bingham isn’t your typical lib build, but his strong stature gives him presence on the court. Whenever needed, he can take second ball on the hands and gives a reliable set.

Wyatt Jean

Middle

Doesn’t have the luxury of height on his side, but is patient in attack and smart in defence. Jean communicates with his team and is there for every set.

David Chau

Opposite

Chau boasts a vertical anyone would be jealous of and can execute an outside hit, line or cross, depending on the block in his way. He is always there as cover, with back court passing that is no less impressive.

ROSSMOYNE OBH

Logan Burns

Passhit

Makes up for his height with an incredible jump from off-net. Burns can get over the ball to executes a powerful line hit over any block. His consistent passing is a handy additional to the skill set.

Jack Heuchan

Opposite

A young face on the Rossmoyne side, Heuchan makes smart hitting choices under pressure and doesn’t rush an opportunity.

Abraham Oyewopo

Opposite

Oyewopo is an up-and-comer of the side. He runs on every attack, has eyes peeled on everything and puts up an effective line block.

Pavan Govander

Middle

Tall, athletic front court attacker with an unassuming hit and uncanny telling of where to be and where to block.

RYDE OBH

Brendan Carroll

Passhit

An athletic outside hitter who may on the shorter side but comes from nowhere in attack. Makes quick-thinking decisions on the net and is always present on the block.

Karis Lamb

Passhit

Lamb can run combo plays with his fellow attackers and offers a seamless decoy if not the main hitter. Also Boasts an unassuming leap.

LAKE GINNINDERRA OBH

Mitch Croft

Passhit

Tall and athletic, Croft is the Lakers’ captain for good reason. He has a keen eye for the play and doesn’t second guess his own moves, whether that be taking first ball or putting the point away.

Harley Sinclair

Setter/ opposite

A dynamic talent who shows no hesitation with the set, Sinclair will likewise execute hit selection under pressure.

Amir Rezaei 

Setter

A tenacious worker who chases every second ball and is quick to call help when needed. Great communication on court.

Jaz Singh

Utility

High game IQ, makes smart choices and can hit both opposite and outside. Singh is a reliable hitting option with incredible leap for his height.

Spencer Musgrave 

Utility

The only Lakers player to have backed up from basketball national titles last week.,Musgrave is an all-round athletic talent who plays a consolidating role in the school’s volleyball team.

HEATHFIELD OBH

Cooper Bevan

Libero

Doesn’t need a microphone to be heard. He is the exemplar of good communication and sportsmanship and is by far the spirit-lifter as much as he is the hustler of Heathfield.

Fergus Watts

Middle

A tall, strong middle hitter who isn’t afraid to take on a block and can run an unassuming fast ball. Will capitalise on an overpass to make the most of every opportunity.

Tyson Duffield

Setter

Knows his teammates and what they want, and never hesitates to give the set. He is confident in his abilities, loud on court and offers good communication with his hitters if things go astray.

BRIGHTON OBH

Finley Bennett

Passhit

Strong serve to back his round-the-court skills, tall and agile attacker, offers cover in defence

Hans Puhjalt

Libero

Tenacious chase on short balls and poor passes, incredibly quick on his feet

Isaiah Brown

Opposite/ passhit

String swing that presents a difficult task to block at the net, can play oppo and passhit with creative hit selection on either end of the net, coachable attitude

BILLANOOK OBH

Thomas Martin

Opposite/ passhit

Offers unique creativity at the net with powerful swing. He’s a familiar name on the list from last year, and returns a step up. Presents a demanding block to back his attacking efforts.

Roberto Wood

Utility

Boasts a powerful swing and the contact to back it up. He’s an unassuming player at the net but damaging if left with no block. Reads his teammates well to avoid cluster at the net.

WAIMEA OBH

William Blight

Middle

Blight is a skilled, tall front court hitter. He can correct a poor set and demolishes a good one, imposing figure in attack and defence

James Keys

Utility

Intelligent set selection, is not afraid to block and can hit a mean outside ball to deep back court.

Nathan Davies

Passhitm

Along with having the basics covered, Davies is perhaps one of the most damaging servers in the division.

KINGS CC OBH

Byron Tolhurst

Passhit

One of two Australian representatives in the side, Tolhurst has been a pillar of King’s volleyball for since grade 10. He offers game IQ, excellent hit selection, and is a fantastic team communicator. No matter the score, Tolhurst plays like it is match point.

CRAIGSLEA OBH

Hamilton Vincent 

Passhit

Tall and quick on transition, he is Craigslea’s go-to hitter in front court. Other than his skills at the net, Vincent boasts an impressive serve, clean hands and consistent passing.

Jake Maher

Opposite

Makes smart split-second decisions on attack and has great timing on the block, often moving in to double-block through the middle.

Zayne Rohde

Middle

He may be on the shorter side in comparison to his opposition middles, but Rogde possesses an expected vertical which allows him to get well over the ball. His specialty is a fast a through the middle, with Vincent on his outside to run the occasional combo.

AQUINAS YR11 BH

Jaxon Neil

Middle/ utility

Usually a middle blocker, Neil is stepping in as pass hit for the Aquinas side while they’re short in the department. His all round capabilities mean he’s far from out of touch. Neil has represented both WA and Australia is previous years, making him a damaging front court attacker.

Sam Pilatti

Opposite

Soft hands and is not afraid to take first ball off a difficult serve. Pilatti is versatile at the net and in back court defence during hard-fought points.

Declan Connell

Setter

Confident in his hitters which means he never hesitates to mix it up. Connell gets to second ball every time is makes quick, smart decisions to make the most of each point.

HALE YR11 BH

Will Rigg

Middle

Imposing at the net with a powerful swing. Rigg offers versatility and consistency for Hale.

Jack Gardner

Passhit/ utility

Gardner can play across the court, but has this week played mainly pass hit and setter. He is an agile player who gets the job done without fuss.

Will Busby

Passhit

A tall and athletic hitter who completes the Hale front court ranks.

CLEVELAND OGH

Genevieve D’Arcy

Middle

Tall, athletic and boasts game IQ that puts her above the pack. Her teammates have trust she will execute through the middle, with sets coming her way more often than not.

Taylah Casey

Setter

Chases second ball like there is no tomorrow, managing to get a near-perfect set even in unlikely cases. She knows her hitters and has ultimate trust that they will execute at the net.

ROSSMOYNE OGH

Georgia Hamer

Passhit

Puts her body on the line to save a point. She gets low on defence and is always ready to take first ball on a difficult serve. Her soft touch compliments her skillset even further and makes her a versatile team player.

HEATHFIELD OGH

Brooke Langbein

Passhit

Langbein is arguably the most talented passhit in the open girls honours division. She is tall, quick on approach, and boasts an outside hit others only dream of. Langbein is the main hitter for Heathfield with good reason. Her game IQ is well above her years, and she’ll be sure to pop up on professional radars in years to come.

Caitlin Egel

Libero

Egel is an agile as they come. She can see the play fold out before it happens and is always there a second early to save even the least likely of points. If you’re after a top notch lib, she’s your star.

Gracie Twells

Middle

Twells is a dominant figure at the net and brings an extra talent to the court: one mighty serve. Her swing translates to powerful execution, a combination of fast and slow hitting options which keep the blockers guessing.

Sophia Dvorak

Opposite

Dvorak is the final touch to Heathfield’s stella front court rotation. She is an unassuming yet powerful opposite who capitalises on her options. Her ability to fix a poor set when needed gives her a unique upper hand against less experienced players.

RANGITOTO OGH

Kiana Stevenson

Passhit

An imposing figure at the net, Stevenson offers a reliable outside hitting option. She boasts an impressive vertical and isn’t afraid to show it off.

Kaia Buckley

Setter

She knows her players well, knows exactly what they want and where. It makes life easy for the team when things run smoothly from the get-go.

Kalea Norton

Opposite

Offers a hefty swing and even stronger block. Her line hits leave jaws dropped.

PENRHOS OGH

Charlotte Shillington 

Middle

Powerful swing with the added bonus of height on her side.

Ava Sutton

Passhit

Sutton offers a top tier serve even under fatigue. Despite being on the shorter side, she has an impressive vertical which allows her to execute cross-court hits on the outside. Sutton’s passing skills make her all the more valuable in back court.

WHAKATANE OGH

M. Prasad

Passhit

Strong swing, times her block well and transitions quick. Prasad’s talk on court is also a key skill.

S. Growden

Libero

Growden is incredibly hard working. She puts her body on the line, is present for cover and can help by taking second ball in messy plays.

K. McKane

Setter

McKane makes smart set selections and is quick on her feet when making last-second decisions. She boasts a strong serve, while also being able to correct a less-than-ideal pass.

TAURANGA GIRLS’ OGH

R. Krueger-Reedy

Opposite

She is tall yet mobile at the net and blocks hard. Boasting a dangerous swing, Krueger-Reedy transitions on every ball regardless if she gets the set

T. Randall

Passhit

Randalls communications with her teammates is top notch. She confidently hits from front and back court over the block and has particularly damaging cross court outside hit.

H, Lankshear

Passhit

Offers a stella serve, effective talk and gets the ball up with little fuss. Lankshear can correct a challenging set to save the point.

A. Roberts

Middle

Runs fast balls on mosts attack but can switch it up with a three. Roberts is tall and imposing, with good timing on her blocks.

LAKE GINNINDERRA OGH

Tandia Briggs 

Passhit/ utility

A strong and athletic outside hitter, Briggs is Lake Ginninderra’s favoured set option. Her work rate is through the roof as the prime front court attacker, playing full court rotation and taking second ball when help is called.

ST PETER’S LUTHERAN YR11 GIRLS D1

Daisy Mabin

Setter/ passhit

Mabin is the exemplar of versatility. Typically a setter through the schoolgirls pathway and Premier Volleyball League, she has stepped into the role of passhit for St Peter’s division 1 girls side. While it’s not her home, Mabin makes it look so with ease. Soft hands, consistent passing and reliable outside hitting makes her a pillar of the team in both front and back court.

KEW Y11 BH

Ben Dawson 

Libero

Speedy and agile, Dawson is a quick-thinking lib who chases well and offers consistent pass placement on both serve and attacking receive.

Jasper Hopkins 

Passhit

Hopkins has a powerful swing and is loud and clear with his setter to make the most of every attack. He hustles in defence, is there for cover and is well-timed on his outside blocks.

Hunter Castree

Middle

Tall and athletic, Castree is another big hustler in Kew’s lineup. He blocks well, hits well and defends well with killer reflexes.

RANGITOTO OBH

Josh Perks

Middle

Perks is aggressive at the net with a big swing to back it up.

Ryan Jefferson

Passhit

The main front court hitter for the Kiwi side, Jefferson isn’t afraid to swing on an overpass. His transitions are timely and his pipe hits are just as reliable.

BENOWA OGH

Kayla Stevens

Utility

Stevens has a knack for putting on a show with her powerful jump serves. She is a reliable and versatile hitter and puts up a good block.

Grace Milne

Libero

Milne consistently gets the ball up with great placement to her setter. She communicates with her team and is a positivity boost.

Maddie Enzinger

Passhit

Offers a soft platform to take first ball with ease and is not afraid to help with second ball when needed. Enzinger is consistent, steady and another top motivator of the team.

GREGORY TERRACE YR12 BOYS D1

Luca Santamauro

Passhit

He’s not the tallest in court, but Santamaurro offers a reliable outside hitting option with an impressive swing and air time.

Mason Connelly

Middle

Along with a powerful swing through the middle, tall-timber Connelly is a consistent server under pressure.

Will McDonald 

Middle

Your typical tall middle, McDonald runs every attack regardless of if he gets the set. He is hardworking at the net and always present on the block.

THE GAP OBH

Harvey Schutte

Opposite

A tall hitter with versatility to play across the net if needed, though spends most of his time as oppo. Boasts a great swing, strong serve and awareness of the block.

Bailey Thames

Passhit

Thames’s specialty is by far his pipe hits from 6. He offers good talk and great cover making him a particularly handy teammate, not to mention consistency.

Tyler Hoffman

Setter

Knows his hitters and what they like, making life easier for everyone. Hoffman is another consistent player. He and Thames were beach partners in March at the 2023 QLD Beach Schools Cup competition, which no doubt strengthened their on-court connection.

Originally published as 65+ players: State, Australian representatives named as best on court at AVSC 2023