Rivals meet to serve in China's courts

THERE is serious rivalry between Monash and Melbourne universities, but it has been set aside for the sake of volleyball.

THERE is serious rivalry between Monash and Melbourne universities, but it has been set aside for the sake of volleyball.

The University Blues, a joint Melbourne-Monash volleyball team, has gone to China to take on some of that nation's top sides.

The 15-strong squad will play seven university teams during the next weekand expects fierce competition from the volleyball-mad Chinese.

"They take their volleyball very seriously," University Blues captain Gavin Penny said.

"The sport is just huge in China. It's one of the country's major sports. Playing professional teams is like playing Collingwood (in the AFL)."

Penny, 32, said that the team was looking forward to the physical challenge of playing the much more experienced Chinese university teams.

"We have been training for it for a long time," he said. "Everyone was extremely keen to play teams at such a high level of volleyball.

"It will be a very different competition than we are used to."

The Melbourne engineering graduate said the two university teams had put aside their rivalries to come together a few years ago.

"Really, the reasons for it (the amalgamation) were money.

"The Australian Volleyball League is now very expensive," Penny told the HES. "But the amalgamation has meant that we have been able to go to China."

Penny said the original idea to visit China came from the team's coach, Shen Gabrielsen, who had played professionally in China.

Monash University sport director Martin Doulton said he hoped the trip would encourage Chinese university volleyball teams to make similar visits to Australia.