Big year for Phoenix Paniora

Year 12 Trident High School volleyball, netball and touch player Phoenix Paniora hasn’t had much time to catch her breath over the past couple of years. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love my sports, I don’t know where I would be without my sports,” Phoenix told College Sport Media this week.

Most recently, she was named as the girls tournament MVP at the NZSS secondary School Volleyball Championships in Palmerston North, after helping her Trident team win the Division 1title for the first time.

She also plays netball and Touch rugby, having played for both her school and for Bay of Plenty representative sides on a regular basis over the past few years.

Over the next two months, Phoenix’s main focus is volleyball, and for good reason too.

“I’m taking a break from representative netball over the next couple of months as I’m going for selection for the New Zealand senior women’s volleyball team, and if I make that we go to the Philippines in August”

But first she hopes to make the Bay of Plenty team for the Women’s National U20 tournament in Wellington on Queens Birthday Weekend at the start of June. The New Zealand senior women’s team trials follow that and the 2017 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship is in Manila from 9-17 August
She’s already had a taste of playing for New Zealand. “Last year I made the New Zealand U17 Youth team and we went to Florida. That was a great experience; it really opened my eyes to see what was out there. The competition was strong and very challenging, considering that in New Zealand we are not very tall and then I got a bit of a fright from that.”

In March Phoenix was part of the New Zealand U18 Women’s volleyball Team that finished eighth in the Asian Youth U18 Girls Volleyball Championship in China.

Returning home, another major highlight for Phoenix was winning the NZSS title at the end of March. “We were fighting for that number one position and we were motivated by the fact that Trident High School had never won before so we wanted to be the first ones to win the tournament for our school.

Trident beat Rangitoto College 3 sets to 1 to win their quarter-final, defeated Burnside High School 3 sets to 1 in their semi-final and overcame New Plymouth Girls’ High School 3 sets to 1 in the final. Overall Trident played and won nine games in five days, winning their matches by a combined 27 sets to six
Phoenix and teammate Mana Kume made the tournament team, Phoenix selected for the second consecutive year, while Phoenix was surprised to be the 2017 tournament MVP. “All my friends were telling me at the time that you’ve got the MVP and I was just staying humble and thinking that I’d be happy for the person who did and I was just so happy to get it myself.”

Phoenix primarily plays as a setter, controlling the tempo of her side’s attack and setting up their winners. A position that carries a lot of responsibility.

“It’s a hard position to play at times because setters usually control the structure of the court and they know what to do and what the hitters want. Coming from a sporting background, my mum was a setter so she teaches me stuff to help my team and how to win points.”

“Mum [Sheralee Mills-Paniora] played volleyball for New Zealand. “She started playing volleyball for New Zealand when she was 17. I was 16 last year when I went to Florida. She went to Kawarau College and they won the NSSS nationals as well, so I just wanted to follow in her footsteps with Trident this year.”

Phoenix has been playing volleyball since year eight. “I started it then and I liked it. Graham Walker was my coach when I started high school and he helped me start my volleyball career.” In 2014, Trident won the NI Junior Secondary School Volleyball Nationals, setting the foundation for this year’s Senior NZSS win.

As well as volleyball, Phoneix has also played in numerous representative netball and Touch teams.
At the start of this year, Bop finished fourth at the Junior Touch Nationals, while last December Trident High School finished 14th at the NZSS Touch Nationals.

“My dad played Touch, so I that’s how I stared playing that. I didn’t really like it at first because it was hard and tiring. But when I got older I developed my skills and started to love it as well.”

Last year Trident High School finished 14th in the A grade of the Upper North Island Netball Championships. The top six finishing schools qualified for the 16-team NZSS Championships. “We have been in the A grade for a couple of years now. We have a young team, so hopefully we’ll keep improving.”
She’s still got another full year of school to come in 2018, but after that Phoenix hopes to gain a volleyball scholarship in the USA or to go to university in New Zealand and study Physical Education.
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She thanked the people who have got her thus far: Hemi Barsdell, Sandy Barsdell, Graham Walker, her mum Sheralee (all volleyball) and TeAhuru Waititi (netball). “I’m grateful for all the support of these people. My netball coach TeAhuru helped me build up my confidence and leadership skills.”