Once a volleyballer, always a volleyballer
In order for the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup to be able to make it to its landmark 40th year, there have been some integral volunteers who have helped it grow to what it is today.
One of the pillars of Australian Volleyball is Teresa Lloyd, the current Competition Manager at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup.
Joining her high school volleyball team, Teresa was first introduced to Australian Volleyball Schools Cup in Canberra in 1989, in only her second year involved with the sport.
Since then, she transitioned from playing into coaching volleyball through her university club down in Canberra.
Completing a degree in Archaeology and Ancient History, which fueled her love for history and recording information, Teresa combined that with her passion for volleyball.
Working at the University of Canberra as a sports coach, before transitioning into Volleyball ACT and then Volleyball Queensland, Teresa has now found herself a home at Volleyball Australia where she has been since 2008.
At the opening ceremony of AVSC 2024, Teresa was awarded and recognised for 25 years of service to the tournament, which in its 40th year is an outstanding achievement.
“To be recognised at the opening ceremony was really special,” Lloyd said.
“I tend to shy away from ceremonies and being front and centre, but with AVSC celebrating 40 years, I thought maybe I should put my face to the name.
“A lot of people know my name but don’t often see me, and I love history and the history of volleyball, so I thought reaching 25 years in the 40th year was pretty special.”
With every single athlete, coach and spectator following the guidance of the draw throughout the entire week, it takes someone incredibly dedicated to ensure it all comes together.
As competition manager, Teresa’s role leading into the event was to craft a draw that enables every school and team to get the most out of their tournament.
“For the last month since nominations have closed, I have been working to prepare the draw for the 2,318 games over the 6 days, over 44 courts,” she said.
“You have to make sure that everyone plays everyday, and doesn’t have too many duties and that everyone gets enough breaks.
“You get into a bit of a rhythm doing it and technology helps but it is still very time consuming.
“It can be very overwhelming but for me it’s like a big puzzle of trying to fit everything in, so I enjoy it.”
During her time in the volleyball space, Teresa’s fondest memories are her years playing at AVSC but also the community that volleyball creates.
“Some of my best memories come from my years playing when it was in Canberra,” she said.
“We’d bus it down overnight from Brisbane, and stay at the university campus at ANU.
“With Brisbane State High School, we also won the best banner award in 1990, and that was great.
“But ultimately, it’s just the feeling of being back amongst like minded people, and everyone here loves volleyball, and everyone wants to play.
“You get to make so many friends over the years and I look forward to seeing people I only get to see once a year.
“As with anything that requires you to go away, it’s always sad to leave but whilst you’re here it’s an amazing time.
To still continue to come back after 25 years, Teresa credits her love for volleyball and the people involved with the sport for inspiring her to come back every year.
“I think for me it’s the game of volleyball,” Lloyd said.
“It’s such a team sport, and you can’t play it by yourself, you need your teammates.
“It’s those friendships and connections that I’ve made over the 25 years where I’ve played, coached, and volunteered.
“And now I’m in charge of the draw creation and I have to thank the previous draw masters who taught me so much.”
