The countdown is on for our U23 State Teams as they prepare to travel to Sydney tomorrow for the 2022 Australian Junior Volleyball Championships. This will be the first WA State Team delegation in over two and a half years to be able to compete at a national championship, following the uncertain period of COVID-19.
U23 Men’s WA Captain, Ryan Slater voiced his enthusiasm for WA teams to travel again. “We are all very excited to go interstate for a tour after what feels like forever, with COVID-19 causing multiple State Team trips to get cancelled in the previous years”, said Slater.
The Junior Championships is all about providing a competitive playing opportunity and development pathway for volleyball athletes under the age of 23. State Associations and Clubs from across Australia and overseas will send their top teams to compete for the championship titles.
The WA teams have been training together since April, while also juggling club volleyball, school, University, work, and for some players, international volleyball tours with Australian representative teams.
“The boys have been working hard for months to put ourselves in the best position for success in Sydney. We are keen to see how well we match up against the rest of Australia”, Slater added.
Both U23 WA teams include athletes who are members of the Australian Volleyball Academy (AVA) in Canberra, as well as athletes who have recently represented or been selected to represent Australia at various national and international tours. Tessa Browne, who made her Australian Volleyroos debut earlier this month in Thailand, has been named the U23 Women’s WA Captain this year.
“I’m so excited to travel to Sydney with this team”, said Browne. “I feel like we have a really good shot of taking home the title.”
After concluding her first professional season in Sweden, and then hopping onto an international Volleyroos tour shortly after, Tessa expressed how special it feels to be back home representing her state.
“Competing overseas has been awesome, but it always feels incredibly special representing your home state where your volleyball career started. Competing with your best mates in the sport you love is what it’s all about, and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish as a team this weekend”, Browne added.
Best of luck to the WA teams as they depart for Sydney on Wednesday 6th July. The competition begins on the 7th and concludes on the 9th July. For live updates on fixtures and results, follow along here – https://junior-champs.volleyball.org.au/
U23’s Men’s Team List
Ryan Slater (Captain)
Dan Fitzgerald (Vice Captain)
Aditya Joshi
Benjamin Farley
Jed Walker
Jeremy Baird
Jordan Fancote
Lochlan Watson
Luke Crutchley
Samuel Hoskin
Tom Dempsey
Qi Den Kuan
Head Coach: Steve Petsos
Assistant Coach: Desiree Tan
U23’s Women’s Team List
Tessa Browne (Captain)
Jasmine Serra (Leadership Group)
*Denae Walters (Leadership Group)
Alexia Zammit
Caitlin Whincup
*Cassie Dodd
Elizabeth Alchin
Kirsty Gordon
Kyla Sanchez
Momoka Haddrell
Sarah Burton
Yun Han Wong
*Unfortunately, these players were forced to withdraw following COVID-19 and injury. Jessica Burton has since been added to the roster.
Head Coach: Laurel Wentworth
Assistant Coach: Dylan Wood