Champions crowned on final day of 2021 Australian Volleyball Schools Cup
The Australian Volleyball Schools Cup (AVSC) returned to the national calendar this week, with more than 50 schools going head to head over the five day competition.
Having not been held since 2019, the AVSC made it’s much awaited return, giving over 1700 students the opportunity to get back on the court.
Thursday 9 December proved to be an action packed finals day, with many teams hard to separate and games pushed out to five set matches.
All eyes were on the Open Honours divisions, with Craigslea and Benowa facing off in the girls, and Craigslea and Benowa in the boys.
The Open Boys Honours gold medal final was a tussle from start to finish, going point for point for majority of the five set match.
In the end, Kelvin Grove got the upper hand, claiming a 3:2 (21-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) victory.
Kelvin Grove’s Matthew Watkins said the win was a culmination of a week of hard work.
“It feels really good to get that win – all the hard work and effort that the boys put in has really paid off,” Watkins said.
“Our game was just to hit hard and stay aggressive, and I think we really hit the nail on the head with that one today.
“The competition out there today was awesome, and I’d like to thank Craigslea for the tough match.
“They always put in 100 percent and I hope that we can keep this rivalry alive in years to come,” he said.
The Open Honours Girls game followed in a very similar fashion, Craigslea and Benowa also taking it to a five set decider.
Benowa’s determination shone through in the fifth set, pushing ahead and crowned champions after a 3:2 (19-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-22, 15-5) victory.
Benowa Co-Captain Gabrielle Woodward was proud of her team for the courage they showed on the final day of competition.
“We really just believed in ourselves, performed really well and managed to stick to our game plan,” Woodward said.
“We’ve been working so hard for such a long time, and winning in the Open Girls Honours divisions as year 10s is a really cool thing.
“Craigslea worked really hard out there, they challenged us, and it’s always a really great game against them.
“They’ve been our long-time rivals, and it was no different out there today – it was a great atmosphere,” she said.
Congratulations also to Kelvin Grove that was named the Overall Champion School, as well as Boys Overall Champion School. Cleveland was named the Champion Girls School.
Volleyball Australia would like to congratulate all teams who competed in 2021 Australian Volleyball Schools Cup.
The Australian Volleyball Schools Cup will return in 2022, with the dates and location to be confirmed in the coming months.
See all results across every division HERE
