The WA Volleyball League (WAVL) State League Regional Round made a dynamic debut at the Karratha Leisureplex on 7th June, marking a major milestone for regional volleyball in Western Australia. Scheduled alongside the North West Regional Tournament on June 7th–8th, the event transformed the city into a hub of high-level competition and community spirit. From June 4th Karratha welcomed VWA staff, players, officials and fans for a festival week of volleyball, celebrating both elite matches and grassroots passion for the sport.

For many Karratha locals, the event was a rare opportunity to witness top-tier volleyball up close, as the State League teams brought elite competition to the region. Around 150 spectators filled the stadium for the game including lots of school students who also got the opportunity to interact with their favourite players after the game. In the Women’s WAVL game Chequers defeated Reds 3-1  and in the Men’s game UWA defeated Chequers 3-0. We extend our gratitude to the teams from UWA Volleyball Club, Chequers Volleyball Club, and Reds Volleyball Club for proudly representing the WAVL volleyball community.

We sincerely thank the North West Volleyball Association for their invaluable support in making the first Karratha WAVL Regional Round a success. Their dedication, local organisation and hospitality across all areas of this event helped create a smooth and memorable experience for everyone who travelled to Karratha for both events. The annual North West Regional Volleyball Tournament featured 13 teams from Tom Price, Port Hedland, and Karratha competing for the coveted Champions Shield. Karratha kept the Shield at home with their Karratha Men’s 3 and Karratha Women’s 1 winning their respective divisions.

In the days leading up to the main events, Volleyball WA also hosted a series of community clinics, school clinics (Karratha and Port Hedland) and education workshops during the week which saw 7 school clinics, 3 community clinics, 2 education workshops and 206 participants across all participation activities.

We would like to thank the City of Karratha for its support through the Community Grants and Contributions Scheme. We would also thank the State government, through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, and Lotterywest, which is a major supporter of the Volleyball WA Regional Round in Western Australia. Sport and recreation create vibrant, inclusive, and connected WA communities. The grant funding from both departments has made this incredible event possible.

Official event photos have been taken by local Karratha photographer Mel Photography and will be posted on our social media platforms soon.