Seems like volleyball might be a family thing, Cassie’s older sister, Samantha, played volleyball throughout her schooling at Penrhos College and first got her interested in the sport.
Cassie first represented the school in year seven at the 2016 Independent Girls’ Schools’ Sport Association (IGSSA) event. She then went on to trial for the Junior Beach Volleyball State Team in 2018 and also played the Indoor game for Reds Volleyball Club in their Women’s State League Reserves (2019) and State League Team in 2020.
She has an impressive track record in representing the state, a total of eight times.
– U15 Junior Beach Volleyball State Team (gold in 2018 – Bunbury) w/ Caitlin Whincup & Lizzie Alchin
– U15 Junior Indoor Volleyball State Team (silver in 2018 – Gold Coast)
– 15 & Under WA School Sport Team (gold in 2019 – Adelaide)
– U16 Junior Beach Volleyball State Team (bronze in 2019 – Bunbury) w/ Lexie Zammit
– U17 Junior Indoor Volleyball State Team (silver in 2019 – Canberra)
– U17 Junior Beach Volleyball State Team (bronze in 2020 – Coolangatta) w/ Lexie Zammit
– Member of the WA Steel Squad (2020)
– U23 Indoor State Team (silver in 2022 – Sydney)
Then there are the competitions and awards, too many to mention them all so here are the highlights so far.
- State League Premiers with Reds Volleyball Club (2020)
- MVP of the Reds State League team
- WA Junior Beach Volleyball Player of the year (2020)
- Selected in the Australian Volleyball Academy (2021)
- ATABT Round 3 @ Leighton (gold – 2022) w/ Shelby Maher
- U19 AJBVT Mooloolaba & Cobram (gold – 2022) w/ Charlotte Duncan
- U21 AJBVT Manly (silver – 2022) w/ Charlotte Duncan
- ABVT Round 1 & 2 in Elite division (5th – 2022)
- Beach Volleyball ACT Open (gold -2022) w/ Allysha Sims
- Member of the Indoor Senior Women’s team (Volleyroos – 2022)
- Representing Australia at the U19 Asian Beach Volleyball Championships (5th – Roi Et, Thailand 2022) w/ Stefie Fejes
- Representing Australia at the U19 World Beach Volleyball Championships (9th – Dikili, Turkey 2022) w/ Stefie Fejes
- Captain of the U21 Australian Indoor Women’s Team -unfortunately she didn’t get to compete in the Trans-Tasman series as she got COVID
- Member of the Canberra Heat
- ATABT Round 3 @ Trigg (gold – 2023) w/ Shelby Maher
- U21 AJBVT Canberra (gold -2023)
- Won AJBVT u21 Women’s Round 2 up at Sandstorm in Brisbane w/ Stefie Fejes
Cassie also told us that Shelby Maher (current WA Steel Captain) was her first state coach and while playing together in the Alcohol. Think Again Beach Tour they haven’t lost a set together! She also got the opportunity to play with her sister for a year in the Reds Volleyball Club State League Reserves team, which she rates as an extra special highlight.
When we asked Cassie what achievements she had in her sights she said she wants to compete in the 2023 U21 Beach Volleyball Asian and World Champs, maintain her position in the senior women’s Volleyroos team and qualify for the Volleyball Nations League. To add to these lofty goals she is aiming to compete at the 2028 Olympics not sure which discipline and the 2032 Olympics at home plus the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Cassie is another one of our WA athletes currently at the Australian Volleyball Academy. She loves the mental aspect of the game as you always have to be focused and reset after every point, good or bad. She says you can’t dwell on one thing for too long or else the points will just fly by. She loves having a team around her, and the reliance on each other to create the wins and the opportunities for celebration.
Cassie is appreciative of the opportunities the sport provides for travel, going to Turkey one of her favourite memories and although she couldn’t speak the same language as many of the competitors she could still connect with each other through volleyball sharing the love of the game.