Men’s Volleyroos Arrive in Fukuoka Ahead of AVC Continental
The Men’s Volleyroos have touched down in Fukuoka, Japan, ahead of the AVC Men’s Volleyball Continental, running from 4-13 September.
The tournament brings together the region’s strongest volleyball nations, with Australia set to open its campaign against Bahrain.
The tournament winner will earn a quota spot for the LA28 Olympic Games, while the top three finishers will also secure a place at this year’s World Championships in Poland.
Australia’s 14-man squad arrives in Japan off the back of five weeks of on-the-road preparation, with a string of friendly matches against Japanese teams proving vital in building confidence ahead of the tournament.
Captain Luke Perry says the extended preparation block had been key for the group to find its rhythm together.
“For us, it was important to get a lot of friendly games in, and just play and understand each other,” he said.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing how far we can go and how far we can push throughout this tournament.”
With Olympic qualification in the picture, Perry says the squad is focused on taking the tournament one day at a time.
“Coming into this tournament, we know the winner gets a spot in LA, and the top three get automatically qualified for the World Championships in Poland,” he said.
“So that’s definitely where we have our eyes set on. We know it’s going to be really difficult to get there, hence why we’re focusing on day to day, getting the team as confident as possible.”
Australia has been drawn in Pool A for the preliminary round, alongside Bahrain, Oman, and host nation Japan.
“We’ve got Japan in our pools, that’s going to be a huge game. They’re probably one of the best teams in the world right now. So we’re going to be playing in a packed stadium in Japan, it’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”
“I have full belief in this team to see how far we can go. If we’re in that top three result, I’ll be stoked.”
The Volleyroos open their campaign against Bahrain on Friday 5 September at 11:00am AEST. All matches will be streamed live on Volleyball World TV.
Australia Games
5 September | Australia v Bahrain | 11am AEST
7 September | Australia v Oman | 11am AEST
8 September | Australia v Japan | 9:30pm AEST
Australian Men’s Volleyroos Team
● Arshdeep Dosanjh (NSW)
● Nicholas Butler (WA)
● Luke Perry (WA)
● Jackson Holland (SA)
● Beau Graham (QLD)
● Nehemiah Mote (NSW)
● James Weir (ACT)
● Trent O’Dea (VIC)
● Sam Flowerday (QLD)
● Lorenzo Pope (VIC)
● Luke Smith (WA)
● Matthew Aubrey (QLD)
● Lincoln Williams (QLD)
● William D’Arcy (QLD)
Team Staff
● Head Coach: Daniel Ilott (VA)
● Assistant Coach: Brendan Garlick (VA)
● Assistant Coach: Adrien Ickowicz (ACT)
● Physiotherapist: Natasha Hart
● Statistician: Terry A’Hearn (VIC)
● Referees: Robert Szydlowski (VIC) and Georges Chalhoub (NSW) – Appointed by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC)
