SNV was excited to have 10 teams representing our club in SVL this year across a range of divisions. You can read the coaches’ perspective on SVL 2017 below. Many thanks to the coaches for taking the time to write these season wrap ups, and of course for their dedication all year long!
Under 16’s Women – Sapphires (coached by Kristen Wood & Kylie Downes)
The 16’s Sapphires had an overall great season; we had some highs and lows with competition but always with enthusiasm and giving their best! We got to work at practice working on our skills and it really pulled together by the end of the year. All the girls improved so much and it was amazing to think where they started with a couple never played volleyball before! We finished the season with a loss but we really came together by the end of the year with great team work/play. The team achieved 2nd overall for the season with a hard fought final match and received a silver medal. The girls should be so proud of what they accomplished and have bright volleyball futures! Special mention to MVP Sienna Lucas and Most Improved Emma Hancock, also to Sienna Lucas & Sylvia Musel being selected as Under 16’s All Stars.
Under 16’s Women – Emeralds (coached by Richard Wolken & Carolyn Reed)
Emeralds began the year with some total beginners and some that had a head start from post season training last year. Despite having no SVL experience, the girls bonded as a team very quickly, and showed great enthusiasm to learn. While they were happy to talk up a storm at training, it took a while to develop on court communication, but once they felt more confident, their skills grew exponentially. It was very encouraging to see that by the end of the season, they were all calling and going for the ball.
We set an objective for the season to: learn the skills, develop as a team, and to HAVE FUN! They certainly achieved all that. It’s been a fun experience to see the girls grow as players, and develop the joy from the sport. Their attendance was very good right through the season, despite the venue changes. Sadly due to the shared courts the training-only players didn’t get to participate as much as we’d hoped. Hopefully they’ll return next year for a more complete experience.
Really looking forward to seeing all the girls returning, and developing further over the coming years.
Special mention to MVP Rose Chavez and Most Improved Charlotte Hendro.
Division 2 Women – Bunnies (coached by Will Maniti)
AND THAT’S A WRAP….
SVL season has come to an end and may I say what an experience for myself in my first season as a full time coach at SNV.
We had a mixture of experienced players, first year svlers, and a couple of social players who wanted to test their skills on the big stage.
With a mixed bunch of players from experienced to first time SVL players we didn’t know what to expect and if we were even going to win a game.
But one of the highlights of the season was winning our first game. The passion and effort the girls put in getting the win in a tight 5 setter! From that moment we knew we were a team not just in it for fun but tough competitors. All the ladies played phenomenally week in week out and were happy to play any position which needed to be filled if we were missing players in key positions. So to that I say Hieu, Gloria, Bec, Lizzy, Sachi, Sina, Yvonne, Kwonnie, Maki, Elena and Mel – Thank you for your dedication, commitment to training and games every week and for your openness to trying and learning new things especially our diving and rolling. LOL. Keep on keepin on with the best sport in the world.
VOLLEYBALL!!!
Cheers to SVL 2017
BRING ON 2018
GOOOOOOO SNV!!!
Special mention to Hiu Le MVP and Sina Ngalu Players’ Player
Division 1 Women – Jades (coached by Richard Wolken)
Jades began as quite a mixed bag of experience this year. We did have a common goal, to improve and have fun. We knew early on it would be a tough season. Some of the results though didn’t show the true fight that we put up against even the tougher teams, so some 0-3 games I felt we played well in. We did have some personnel issues with injuries and holidays in the middle of the season, which meant all 3 middles were out for a few weeks, for example. Luckily we could draw from outside the team to fill in and help.
To their credit, they never gave up, and played positive volleyball all season, and I believe all improved individually and worked on the things I asked of them, and most importantly, had fun!
Special mention to Liz Murray MVP and Renee Theoret Players’ Player
Division 1 Women – Azul (coached by Scott Laffer)
It was a tough season, both physically and mentally, for SNV Azul this year. Despite a disrupted pre-season and a season ending injury depleting our squad, the team looked forward in anticipation to the SVL season.
The first couple of rounds were very positive, with a 3:0 win and a narrow 3:2 loss to the early competition favourites. The middle of the season however was very challenging, with a string of seven 5-set games, all where we came off second best. Not particularly encouraged by the fact we were receiving great value for money, the team continued to train hard and recuperate from injuries sustained in our game-day endeavours. The back end of the season saw the rewards of that effort, with a couple of good victories, including an eventual 5-set win over a team destined for final success.
Thanks very much to my team of great players who showed patience throughout the long season and adapted to all challenges thrown at us. While not exactly the season we all envisioned, it was a great journey which I hope was enjoyed by all involved.
Special mention to Lora Thorand MVP and Lucy Went Players’ Player
Honours Women – Squirrels (coached by Scott Nichols)
A Squirrels Perspective:
This year was very challenging for the Women’s Honours Team. After a very exciting and satisfying pre-season, where we won gold, silver and bronze medals, the regular season was a lot more challenging. Unfortunately we did not make the finals this year which was our goal at the start. But at least we did get the opportunity to learn some lessons about ourselves and as a team. Hopefully we can remember the lessons learned and use them to improve next time. The good thing about playing sport is there is always next year. And win lose or draw it is great fun working together for a common goal. Bring on next year!
I also want to thank all the girls in the Squirrels for their patience this year. Week in week out we had a different combination to adapt to. The way you accepted the role given without complaint made it so much easier for me (maybe not you, but definitely me). Thanks especially to players playing out of position.
Special thanks to Bec and Nerradene and all the other volunteers who make it possible for us to play. Don’t take them for granted and remember to always shake the referees hand after the game 😉
Special mention to Laura Reeks MVP and Bec Paff Players’ Player
Under 19’s Men Blue (coached by Colin Lai, assisted by Hartik Mitra)
2017 for the Under 19s was going to be interesting. Losing 2 of our juniors to the Centre of Excellence and 3 more to HSC commitments meant we were without our main setter, middle and outsides. This meant a reshuffle of the team with Richard Chen (captain) to step into setting and also playing Div 1/ Honours. We overcame this challenge with grit and determination, being undefeated until we played Hills Dragons the 2nd time around. Unfortunately our points difference was less resulting in a 2nd overall before entering the playoffs.
Semi finals saw the boys defeat the Endevour Academy to put us into contention for the finals versus Hills Dragon, having lost a game to us and vice versa. The junior boys put up a great fight however we lost a hard fought game against a strong team.
I wish to congratulate the under 19’s on a fantastic season with Brendan Ye and Samuel Yu being selected for the U19 All Star team. Special mention to MVP Richard Chen and Most Improved Brendan Ye. I wish all the players the best for 2017 and hope to see them again next season.
Under 19’s Men Green (coached by Paul Douriaguine, assisted by Hartik Mitra)
It’s been a good season for SNV Green. For most of the players it was their very first time at SVL – there was a lot to learn and get used to, including the routine of regular training sessions, Sunday morning games, duties, etc.
Despite not getting to the top of the ladder in the competition the guys have done very well this year. Without exception, everyone has improved their individual skills and, most importantly, have grown as a team. It was a marked difference in seeing SNV Green playing at the start of the season and toward the end.
Special mention goes to MVP Kiefer Sinclair, Most Improved Chris Haines and our assistant coach Hartik Mitra. Well done, guys!
I trust everyone had fun this season and hope to see most of you guys back with the club next year. Stay injury-free and keep up your volleyball practice in-between seasons!
Division 1 Men (coached by Jed Flavel)
The Div 1 Men started the year well, building across the State Cups with some strong performances, and coming together as a team. The team’s SVL campaign started strongly, and had its ups and downs as the season progressed. The split in divisions came down to the last game, and the men showed great character to stay in Div 1. Unfortunately after this the results weren’t as favourable. Some quality opposition and losing a few tight 5 set matches really skewed the ledger against us. Despite not as many wins as the team would have liked, it was ultimately an enjoyable one filled with good times and player development.
Special mention to Richard Chen MVP and Damien Glover Players’ Player
Honours Men (coached by Ian Garrett)
The mens honours team had a solid year considering the number of changes in line up we had from last season.
The season started with some good wins in the State Cups which gave us confidence heading in to the start of SVL. The first half of SVL saw solid wins and a good performance against UTS, the competition favourites. As the season went on we found how tight it was going to be for the places in the finals with positions changing on a weekly basis depending on which of the top teams won and lost. The last half of the season we came up against all the teams that we were going to challenge for the finals positions. We won some and we lost some and eventually the places for the 3rd to 6th playoffs came down to a few percentage points and left us in 5th position.
Our playoff final was a tight game against Housecats. We took the first set much easier that we expected but we couldn’t sustain the pressure and ended up going down 3-1 ending our season in 5th place, the same as last year but with more teams and a much tighter top half of the competition .
I would like to thank all the team for the effort that they put in this year and the great bond that the team had throughout the season.
I hope we can see most of the team return next year and hopefully we can push a bit harder for a medal in 2018.
Special mention to Dylan Duclos MVP and Jason Liang Players’ Player