Meet the country’s up-and-coming volleyball stars from the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup
On the back of the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, we reveal the best young players from around the country. SEE THEM HERE
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A new line-up took to the stage in the 2022 Australian Volleyball Schools Cup finals for Open Boys Honours, as the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia battled for gold.
The showdown for gold took place between Lake Ginninderra and Brighton Secondary School on Saturday afternoon.
Despite Brighton’s elite volleyball program, the ACT rivals came out on top with a convincing 3-0 triumph.
Reigning champions, Kelvin Grove State College were knocked out of contention following the pool rounds.
South Australia’s Heathfield High School made their way up the ranks but were unable to secure a spot in the gold medal match, upsetting Redlands College of Wellington Point to earn bronze.
In the Open Girls Honours division, it was New Zealand entrant Burnside that took victory over South Australian opponents Brighton Secondary School.
The first set looked to be a walk over for the wildcard side, who entered due to their own nationals being cancelled with Covid, before Brighton found their groove in the second set.
It was no easy feat for the trans-Tasman rivals, despite the 3-0 score.
In the bronze medal match, AIS athlete Elizabeth Alchin helped lead her Penrhos College side to victory against Craigslea State High School.
The Year 11 Boys Honours finals boasted a different line-up, with Western Australia and Queensland taking home medals.
Hale School of Wembley Downs brought a damaging skill set to the gold medal match-up against Queensland’s Nudgee College.
The game extended to four sets, with the Western Australian side fighting hard to seal the deal.
St Peter’s Lutheran College of Indooroopilly failed to grasp gold after a stunning start to the competition.
In an unexpected twist, the division favourites suffered an early finals defeat to play for bronze on Saturday afternoon.
The side were able to hustle for a 3-1 win.
It was an all-maroon sweep in the Year 11 Girls Honours, with medals presented to three southeast Queensland teams.
Benowa State High School battled for the gold medal over their Brisbane rivals, Holland Park State High School.
The match was taken to four sets, with the Gold Coast locals taking victory in style.
Cleveland High School fought hard throughout the bronze medal playoff, defeating their Gympie State High School opponents in a nail-biting fourth set.
See below for our list of top performers from the week.
Note: Not every school was able to submit players for the list.
Top performers
Kye Van Beest, St Peters Lutheran College, QLD (Year 11 Boys Honours)
Son of former Olympian Shane Van Beest, its no surprise Kye Van Beest is one of the top performers. Van Beest is a predominantly a basketballer, but his height and athleticism make him equally powerful on a volleyball court.
Finn Killen, St Peters Lutheran College, QLD (Year 11 Boys Honours)
Middle blocker Finn Killen is a Queensland representative and one of St Peters best emerging talents. The year 11 student stands at 210cm tall and has a strong future ahead of him in the sport.
Cooper Rowlings, St Peters Lutheran College, QLD (Year 11 Boys Honours)
211cm tall blocker Cooper Rowlings completes St Peters’ tall trio dominating Year 11 Boys Honours.
Izumo Ueda, Heathfield, SA (Open Boys Honours)
With a strong hit, the ability to target his serves, and hard-to-beat blocking, Ueda is one player you need to keep an eye on.
Jay Trowbridge, Heathfield, SA (Open Boys Honours)
The Adelaide number 21 has proven his skills at the net this week, playing a key role in Heathfields attack and defence during crucial sets.
Wilan Reid, Heathfield, SA (Open Boys Honours)
After representing South Australia alongside teammate Izumo Ueda, Heathfield number 32 Wilan Reid is proving himself as a smart player against some of Australia’s best volleyball schools.
Logan Burns, Rossmoyne, WA (Open Boys Honours)
An all-round talent, Burns wears number 42 for Rossmoyne and is a dual beach and indoor representative player. The pass-hitter’s communication and crosscourt hits have played a pivotal role in his school’s performance this week.
Luke Pollen, Rossmoyne, WA (Open Boys Honours)
The number 43 uses his height to optimal advantage and dominates at the net. His relentless attack can be put down to seamless movement and hard hits.
Shoma Slater, Rossmoyne, WA (Open Boys Honours)
This Western Australian middle is making his mark as a key youngster in Rossmoyne’s volleyball legacy. The year 11 student is a silent assassin with a strong sense of team spirit.
Danyl Mathews, Rossmoyne, WA (Open Boys Honours)
Elizabeth Alchin, Penrhos College, WA (Open Girls Honours)
Passer hitter Elizabeth Alchin is set up for a bright future after helping Penrhos chase bronze in Open Girls Honours. Alcin will head to Canberra in 2023 to join the Australian Volleyball Academy and begin to chase her goal of becoming an Olympic beach volleyballer.
Saskia Jones, The Gap, QLD (Open Girls Honours)
Passer hitter Saskia Jones is the main communicator for The Gap on court. She directs the play, helps pick up the scraps and can deliver a mean hit. As the younger sister of Australian Volleyroo Annalies Jones, it is no surprise Saskia is a talent.
Lesley Smith, The Gap, QLD (Open Girls Honours)
The Gap’s setter Lesley Smith is not the loudest voice on court but has the ability to set up plenty for her side. Smith shouldn’t be underestimated anywhere on the court as she can attack on the net and off as a hitting option when needed. Smith is a member of the Queensland Pirates.
Caitlin Clarke, The Gap, QLD (Open Girls Honours)
The Gap’s youngest talent s Year 9 student Caitlin Clarke. The middle blocker is tenacious on the ball, and once she gets more years with this Gap team will shine.
Brielle Kettleton, Lake Ginninderra College, ACT (Open Girls Honours)
The number six all rounder is dangerous on the net with a massive swing that builds throughout the game. Kettleton is in Year 12 but is already playing in the Australian Volleyball League (AVL) with the Canberra Heat.
Ella Schabort, Lake Ginninderra College, ACT (Open Girls Honours)
Wearing jersey number two is Ella Schabort, a tall passer hitter capable of playing on all areas of the court. The Year 12 student is another young member of the Canberra Heat.
Lily Carter, Lake Ginninderra College, ACT (Open Girls Honours)
Number 12 Lily Carter is a state representative who plays U19s. She is a strong middle who has a quick hit.
Brooke Langbein, Heathfield, SA (Open Girls Honours)
A year 10 student, Brooke Langbein is still young to be playing Open Honours but plays with a lot of maturity. Langbein is already rising through the state representative rungs playing in SA’s U17s. The number 48 is an outside hitter with a massive swing capable of hitting the floor and leaving opposition defenders stunned.
Caitlin Egel, Heathfield, SA (Open Girls Honours)
The Year 10 libero year 10 has been having a ripper of a tournament so far. Egel is known to be very consistent on the court and steadies the ship when the pressure turns up.
Nicola Gunson, Heathfield, SA (Open Girls Honours)
Jersey number 14, captain Nicola Gunson is an SA U17s setter capable of playing all around the court and up at the net as an opposite. She works the court cleverly and is capable of setting up attacks before her opponents know what’s happening.
Isabella Maticevski, Maribyrnong, VIC (Open Girls Honours)
The Maribyrnong setter is already an Australian and state rep at both state indoor and beach.
Lulu Greer, Maribyrnong, VIC (Open Girls Honours)
Middle and passer hitter Lulu Greer is another dual indoor and beach rep for both Aussie and Victoria. Greer is quick on her feet and packs a hard hit.
Cate Smith, Maribyrnong, VIC (Open Girls Honours)
Number 1, outside hitter Cate Smith is another Victorian rep in both beach and indoor. Smith has been playing in the AVL.
Stephanie Marshall, Craigslea, QLD (Open Girls Honours)
Number 9 Stephanie Marshall has only just finished year 9 but is playing with Craigslea as a utility. Marshall is understated on the court, but don’t let this fool you as she is clever with her attacks. Another young member of the Queensland Pirates.
Amy Sexton, Billanook College, VIC (Open Girls Honours)
Middle blocker, number 17, Amy Sexton has a great presence in Billanook’s attacking line. Sexton is a state level player and was recently awarded the best junior female volleyballer award in Victoria.
Isabelle Handbury, Billanook College, VIC (Open Girls Honours)
Number 5 passer hitter Isabelle Hanbury is a real talent. The state level player is clever, powerful and assertive on court. She doesn’t always need the ball in hand to make an impact but when she does touch it, opponents can almost guarantee it will result in a side out.
Charlie Wood, Billanook, VIC (Open Girls Honours)
The pass-hitter’s skills range from front court attack to passing line defence. His communication on court has led Billanook into some close contention with competition favourites all week.
Rieley Wickings, Ambrose Treacy, QLD
In jersey number 4 for ATC, Wicking‘s setting abilities were tested under pressure this week, but his speed and communication prevailed.
Daniel Mulloni, Ambrose Treacy, QLD
A key Dragons club player and Queensland Schools Cup MVP, the number 12 has continued his court reign this week. The young star asserted his dominance early in the competition, playing a crucial role during tough games.
Joshua Probert, Elizabeth, TAS
With quick reflexes and a never-say-die attitude, this Tasmanian number 4 is making his mark as a key player in Elizabeth‘s defensive efforts.
Jack Palmer, Redlands, QLD
Wearing jersey number 2, Palmer is known in volleyball circles for his impressive down balls and relentless attack. He‘s represented Australia as a pass-hitter and middle, and is undoubtedly one to watch.
Thomas McKinney, Redlands, QLD
The Redlands open player puts intense pressure on the net, playing a pivotal role in his team‘s front court defence. With a height advantage, this young gun is hard to miss.
Cooper Dawson, Eltham, VIC
The Victorian number 10 deceives his opponents, bringing a swerve that‘s hard to return. On court, Dawson’s energy is unmatched.
Marli Cetinich, Canterbury, QLD
Wearing jersey number 36 for Canterbury, Cetinich is turning heads on and off the court with her dominant hits and savvy team talk. This year she represented Queensland and proved a key player.
Kaylee Tamala, Canterbury, QLD
The year 11 student is known for her all-round athletic abilities, and was recently named the 2022 U15s Australian School Girls‘ MVP.
Juliana Tamala, Canterbury, QLD
The younger sister of Kaylee, this superstar is playing years above her own. Opposition underestimate the skills she brings to the Canterbury passing line.
Read more editorial coverage from the week below
Redlands College of Wellington Point have defied the odds to put themselves in a promising position ahead of Saturday’s finals.
Following a bronze medal campaign at the 2022 Queensland Senior Schools Cup, the team entered this year’s AVSC competition without high expectations.
With the team’s starting libero undergoing ankle surgery and ruled unfit for play, Redlands were forced to make a last-minute change to their line-up.
Coach Oliver Palmer said his side felt like underdogs leading into the event on Monday.
“I was optimistic, but a little bit sceptical,” he said.
“I came in thinking we can do this, but it will be a hard slog to get there.”
On Friday evening, the Queensland side took on New Zealand’s Tauranga Boys’ in the semi-final.
After dropping the first set, Redlands picked up the game to win it in four sets.
“The boys played really well after dropping that first,” Palmer said.
“They fixed up the passes, fixed up the blocks.”
Post-match, team captain and setter Thomas McKinney was impressed with his team’s performance following the rough start.
“We just put that first set behind us and applied what we were training,” he said.
The number 2’s quick decision making and smart play was vital to the Redlands attacking success.
Fellow Queensland teams Ambrose Treacy College and Kelvin Grove State College suffered shock losses to be knocked out of medal contention following the end of pool rounds on Wednesday.
Despite an unexpected 3-0 loss to Elizabeth College on day two, Redlands fought hard to secure a top eight position leading into Thursday’s crossover matches.
For players, AVSC is one of the most important school volleyball events on the competitions calendar.
Scouts are on the lookout for potential talent to join the Queensland Academy of Sport and Australian Institute of Sport programs.
McKinney has already been scouted this week for the 2023 season, an exciting prospect for the young athlete.
“It’s cool coming to these competitions knowing other people will be watching,
“You obviously want to play your best volleyball when the scouts are around,” McKinney said.
With the preliminary final to be played Saturday morning, Redlands will go head-to-head with Brighton High School of South Australia.
It will be a redemption match for the Queensland side, having lost to Heathfield earlier in the week.
“We’ve gone down to Brighton once, we’re not going down again,” coach Palmer said.
The winning team will secure a position in the gold medal match, against the winner of Lake Ginninderra versus Heathfield.
St Peters on the cusp of enormous upset
They’re one of the best teams in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, but they might not be back in 2023 unless they can win the top Year 11 boys division.
St Peters Lutheran College aren’t a volleyball excellence school and don’t consider volleyball to be one of the school’s main sports, but they’re on the verge of winning Year 11 Boys Honours.
They’ve dropped just one set in six, five-set matches of volleyball on Day 4 of the competition, but their mission to win goes beyond just a medal around their necks.
If they win, the team believe the school will let them compete in Open Honours next year.
Currently, St Peters don’t allowed Year 12 students to compete in AVSC as it occurs after graduation, but to compete – and try win – Open Honours is the ultimate goal for every student in the country.
16-year-old, 210cm tall Finn Killen is a middle blocker for the team and said he is hoping an Honours win could convince the school to allow them to return for Open Honours next year.
“I don’t think any one of these boys would not want to play after graduation,” Killen said.
“It’s a fun game, everyone knows each other and we’ve been playing together for years.
“We should (get the win). The only teams we need to play now are Hale and Craigslea who might present a bit of competition, but we’ve so far lost one set so we’re looking good.
“It’s so much fun playing with these guys, they’re so good; you give it to Kye Van Beest and you’re already getting ready for the next point.”
Kye Van Beest is the son of coach – and Athens 2004 Olympic volleyballer – Shane Van Beest, and stands at his own 198cm, alongside 211cm tall blocker Cooper Rowlings.
“If we can get the results, most of my boys will be Year 12 next year and the school at the moment hasn’t support students playing in Schools Cup because it occurs after graduation,” coach Van Beest said.
“So our aim is to win Year 11 Honours and go to the school and say: ‘Give us one more crack next year at Open Honours’.”
St Peter’s Head of Volleyball – and Olympic teammate to Van Beest – Matt Young said the team were much more than their three big guys, with each player playing a key role in the unbeatable side.
“It’s a big team, but it’s not just some of the big players. There are some really skilled players in that team and we’ve been able to spread the workload across,” Young said.
“This group are very close, they all support each other really well. They’re talented and they all give 100 per cent every training, and they have that positive attitude all the time.
“Hopefully we can see a few of them reach that Australian team.”
Penrhos College shine with future Olympian
She’s one of the most formidable names in Australian school volleyball and is preparing to win gold at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, before tackling her bigger goal: the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
18-year-old Elizabeth Alchin is heading up one of the country’s best school volleyball teams with Penrhos College in Open Girls Honours.
The team are undefeated after six games and are looking to be one of the biggest contenders to take home the silverware, along with New Zealand entrant Burnside.
But whether she flies home to Perth with a medal around her neck or not, Alchin is set to head to the Australian Institute of Sport in January to join the Australian Volleyball Academy and see out her dream of becoming an Olympian.
“Playing basketball (growing up) I also wanted to be an Olympian, but even when I was younger and learning to swim, I always wanted to know what I had to do to get to the next level,” Alchin said.
“I’m a very competitive person and always want to be better.
“I want to play in the 2032 Olympics, that’s my goal.”
The Western Australian has been juggling an enormous workload this year playing with her school, club, WA at the U23 Nationals and with the Perth Steel in the Australian Volleyball League, and now playing her first Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour event in Torquay, Victoria, in the Challenger division.
“It was so good, I loved it, it was great to see all the top payers play and we did some volunteering too,” she said.
“We got to watch the Elite 16 (where Olympic level players play), and I’ve watched them all on TV but seeing them in person was really cool.”
Alchin will make the move to Canberra in January but is still deciding whether to chase her dreams through the Australian pathway, or head overseas to America or Canada.
“Both of them have positives, if you go overseas you get a different perspective on it and learn different ways of playing, but being in the Australian program I think you’re more likely to be selected for competitions and teams which is also really important.
“Either way there are so many different pathways you can go.”
Alchin and the Penrhos Honours Girls will next face volleyball powerhouse Brighton as they journey to make the medal matches.
AIS product’s petition to get his school at AVSC
One of Australia’s most promising young volleyballers has been at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup all week, but not on the court – and not by choice.
Soon-to-be Australian Institute of Sport athlete Luke Ryan recently graduated from Hillbrook Anglican College in Brisbane, as school that don’t offer a volleyball program, despite doing so in the past.
The 18-year-old, 195cm tall volleyballer has instead been volunteering at AVSC this week, running their vertical leap competition – with his own leap a staggering 102cm.
Ryan said he would have loved to have gone through the school volleyball program like many athletes his age do, but despite years of petitioning couldn’t convince Hillbrook to restart the program which stopped with Covid.
Ryan will move to Canberra in January to begin a journey that will hopefully take him to the Olympics on the sand, but it wasn’t without extra hours away from school volleyball, the most traditional pathway for Australian volleyballers – evident given the 8000 students at AVSC this week.
“It’s hard, I’ve been pushing since I got there for them to have a volleyball team but it hasn’t worked,” Ryan said.
“It’s difficult to co-ordinate those things because you need staff to come out to those things outside school hours.
“I don’t need school volleyball to stay good though, I’ve gotten into the QAS program and used club as much as I could.”
Ryan will be joining the Australian Volleyball Academy, the country’s breeding ground for future Volleyroos, American and Canadian college players and Olympians alike.
And like many at AVSC, Ryan has the 2032 Brisbane Olympics looming in the back of his mind.
“That’s the goal (to make the Olympics),” he said.
“Once I go to the AIS I’d like to move to Adelaide which is where the developing Volleyroos program is for the men’s, and hopefully follow it through there.”
Ryan received his first taste of international volleyball at the U19 Asian Volleyball Championships in June but ended up coming back with a stress fracture in his back, beginning a long injury run.
“That was difficult, and very painful. So I rehabbed that and then second training session back I dislocated my left shoulder, so I had to rehab that and by next week I should be back to training.
“I know I can be at that (highest) level when I’m playing at my best and not with a broken spine.
“That’s definitely where I’d like to take it, I want to be consistently competing on the international stage, even potentially medalling at some point.”
But his beach volleyball journey wasn’t smooth sailing either, with Ryan initially rejected at his first Queensland beach volleyball trials.
It wasn’t until the following year when he re-trialled that Ryan was selected and he went on to win Bronze at the Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships.
“Only a few months after that I got selected for the Australian team and we went overseas.”
Day 2 wrap
Rivalries on court have raised tensions between teams following mixed results on day two of the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup.
Ambrose Treacy College of Indooroopilly went head-to-head with Melbourne’s Billanook College in Round 1.
The Indooroopilly favourites entered the comp following a gold medal campaign at this year’s Queensland Senior Schools Cup, beating reigning AVSC champions Kelvin Grove.
Rising star Daniel Mulloni proved to be a pivotal role in the team’s success and was named Most Valuable Player of the Boys Open Honours division.
Despite their Victorian opponents sitting below them on the ladder, Ambrose struggled to take a straight-set victory.
The first and second sets ended 25-14 and 25-12 respectively in Ambrose’s favour but Billanook won the third 22-25.
In a nailbiting fourth set, Billanook number 5 Charlie Wood led his team to another 25-22 victory, with the Victorians looking strong.
Billanook team manager Fiona Carnell described the match as nerve-racking leading into the final set.
“This is so exciting, it’s their first five-set game so far,” Carnell said.
But as key calls changed the momentum of the match, tensions began to rise on court.
Ambrose setter Rieley Wickings helped steady his team under pressure, with the Queensland side ultimately coming out on top 15-13.
Players and coaches on both sides showed respect to their opponents following the heated
match that lasted over two hours.
In the match that followed it was Hobart’s Elizabeth College that upset Redlands College.
The Brisbane side carry bronze medal credentials following the 2022 Queensland Senior Schools Cup.
Elizabeth looked behind the pack during warm-up against Redlands’ dominant attacking front
court.
It was the Tasmanian team spirit and tenacity that earned them a 7-0 lead in the first set, forcing a technical time-out to the Redlands side.
The Queensland team fought hard to stay in contest, with Australian representative Jack Palmer earning his team key points.
In the top girls division, South Australia’s Brighton Secondary College are living up to their reputation as one of the country’s best volleyball excellence schools, going unbeaten through three games on day two in Pool A.
Matching them in Pool B are Perth’s Penrhos College, going three-from-three as well.
Gold Coast secure AVSC for 2023
THE Gold Coast has cemented its fast growing reputation as the ultimate volleyball destination, announcing the sport’s pinnacle school tournament will stay on the Coast for 2023.
Tourism and Events Queensland and Major Events Gold Coast announced the deal with Volleyball Australia on Monday, the first day of the 2022 Australia Volleyball Schools Cup, which brings in more than 500 teams and 8000 competitors across a full week.
The news also comes a week after the finals of the Australian Volleyball League, Australia’s premier domestic competition, was held at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium. Volleyball Australia CEO Andrew Dee said the Gold Coast had the ideal facilities and backdrop for the sport’s largest event.
“The Gold Coast is fast becoming the home of volleyball and we can’t wait to bring the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup back here in 2023,” Mr Dee said.
“This event is huge for volleyball, with hundreds of teams taking part and real growth opportunities for the event internationally, which for the local Gold Coast community provides strong economic benefits.
“Events like the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup are where we can expect to identify our next generation of Australian team athletes and with the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on the horizon, what better place than Queensland to host the Schools Cup.
“The kids playing at events like this will be the Olympians who’ll play in 2032.”
With only 10 years until Brisbane 2032, Volleyball Australia national events director Phil Muller said scouts would be out in force across the week to find the sport’s next national heroes. “2032 is only a skinny 10 years away, and there will be a number of athletes here competing that will be talent identified and fast tracked through to our Olympic teams in 2032 in either indoor or beach volleyball.”
Students aged 12 to 18 years will compete for national glory from Monday to Friday at the Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium, Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre and Coomera Indoor Sports Centre.
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Originally published as Meet the country’s up-and-coming volleyball stars from the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup
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