Eliana Zulliger’s volleyball journey comes full circle

For Eliana Zulliger, volleyball started with a simple school sports day. Less than three years later, the Bellarine Peninsula teenager is representing Victoria on the national stage.

It’s the kind of full-circle story that captures the spirit of grassroots sport, where curiosity, dedication and the right people along the way can open the doors that previously didn’t even exist.

Zulliger first picked up a volleyball at just 10 years of age during a Geelong Independent Schools Sports Association sports day in 2022. The experience was immediate and memorable.

Keen to keep learning, she joined the Surfcoast Volleyball Association in Torquay, playing socially with no real expectations beyond enjoying the game. But it didn’t take long for her connection to the sport to deepen.

Soon after joining the club, a post circulated looking for volunteers to help at the 2023 Australian Beach Volleyball Tour opening round at Rippleside Beach in Geelong. Zulliger put her hand up.

At the time she had only played indoor volleyball and had never experienced the beach format.

What followed proved to be a defining moment.

Working as a court official, she found herself immersed in the energy of high-level competition, surrounded by athletes competing on the national tour.

“Being so close to the court and watching some amazing volleyball was incredible,” she said. “It was my first exposure to beach volleyball and the athletes were super friendly and talked to me.”

Seeing the sport at that level planted a seed.

Zulliger stayed connected with Volleyball Australia organisers after the event and continued looking for ways to stay involved. At the same time, her training began to take a more structured direction when a new coach joined her local club and introduced a more competitive environment.

Her first tournament followed soon after, and the experience sparked a new ambition.

As her enthusiasm for the game grew, so too did her commitment. Zulliger began seeking out additional training opportunities, attending development programs and travelling regularly for sessions across her state.

She joined beach volleyball training programs and later earned a place in the Victorian U14 indoor state training squad.

Even when selection for the travelling team wasn’t guaranteed, she kept turning up.

Week after week, she made the arduous 3-4 hour round trip to the State Volleyball Centre in Dandenong, building friendships, developing her skills and learning from coaches and teammates.

That persistence, that commitment paid off when Zulliger was selected for Victoria’s U15 Girls team for the 2026 Australian Youth Beach Volleyball Championships, one of the feature events of Volleyslam on the Gold Coast.

For the young athlete who once stood courtside as a volunteer, it was a surreal moment.

“I was so excited to travel to Queensland with the whole state team and compete against athletes from all over Australia,” she said. “Being able to play, stay, eat and laugh together for nearly a week was amazing. We made great connections with players from other states and even swapped jerseys at the end.

“That’s a great memory.” 

Throughout the journey, Zulliger is quick to acknowledge the influence of the coaches and mentors who helped guide her development, from local club coaches to Victorian state team staff and beach volleyball mentors.

Their encouragement helped turn curiosity into commitment, progression and now, achievement.

For Zulliger, the lesson is simple: opportunities often start with just giving something a go.

“At the time I volunteered I was not very experienced in volleyball… I was a little intimidated at the start,” she said. “But everyone was so welcoming and it turned into such a rewarding experience. 

“Keep taking opportunities and keep showing up because you never know where it will lead you and the amazing connections you can make along the way.” 

Now balancing both indoor and beach volleyball, Zulliger’s ambitions are growing. She hopes one day to play college volleyball in the US and even compete internationally.

But no matter how far the journey goes, the foundations remain the same: show up, put in the work and enjoy the game.

And sometimes, the path from volunteer to representative may be shorter than you think.