The Echuca College boys and girls Intermediate volleyball teams headed to the Echuca Stadium to compete in the annual volleyball tournament. Hopes were high and the girls started fantastically, getting the ball in play regularly and setting up some great plays. It was an all-round team effort on the day, with every player contributing to each win the girls had. They were able to win overall and are excited to play at Mildura in the next stage, as a number of these girls did when they were in Year 7. Standout player for the day was Sarah-Jane Taylor. The Intermediate boys team were an inexperienced crew but full of talented athletes. They started off poorly against a strong team from St Aug’s and were unable to get back into the game. Following this loss their confidence was shot and this resulted in further poor play, with the normally loud boys being as quiet as mice on the court. For their final game their level of intensity improved and they were clapping and supporting each other after winning points, which will keep them inspired for the 2018 competition. Laurence Pontejos was the star player for the day, with his serving skills a highlight for all competitors and coaches to watch.
The Echuca College Senior Boys and Girls volleyball teams contested fiercely with other schools at the annual Summer Sports Day. As has been the case in years gone by, both teams presented strongly on paper and improved dramatically throughout the lead-up thanks to a strong training program. Whether they would prove to be worthy winners was still to be decided. The boys team had two warm-up games against intermediate teams from other schools and these were tight affairs, causing their coach to be concerned. In the one game they were required to win, they took on an understrength Nathalia team of only 5 players. Fortunately, they did enough to win. Nick McKenner and James Brown were stand-out players. The girls team had a much longer contest, playing 3 games and needing to win them all. As always, the quality of the serving in these games was going to be a decisive factor. The girls listened to the advice of their coach and played well as a team. While there were many excellent players throughout the day, it was the experience and serve of Kylie Thompson that guided the team to victory. Both senior teams are excited for the chance to represent Echuca College at the next stage of competition.
