New North Island Junior Volleyball Champions Crowned

The North Island Junior Volleyball Championships in Wellington have anointed two new champions in 2016. Westlake Girls' High School under the guidance of the impressive Vukets family have won the girls title for the first time, while Trident High School rallied from a set down to topple Otumoetai College in an enthralling and exclusive Bay of Plenty boys battle.

Girls Final
Westlake scored a commanding 25-19, 25-15 victory over Tauranga Girls' College. Westlake started strongly surging ahead 4-1 on the back of powerful serving by Rachel Webster.

Tauranga stayed in the fight and won four points on the trot to nudge ahead 17-16 following impressive play by Sophia Lawrence and Kiana Gear. With the first set hanging in the balance tournament MVP Tamara Otene took over. Otene blasted two aces and a smash winner as Westlake went on an 8-0 run to jump ahead 24-17.

Tauranga's resistance was effectively crushed at this point. Westlake completely dominated the remainder of the match. A third of Tauranga's second-set points were scored by way of Westlake serving faults.

Otene with her height, power and occasional touches of finesse continued to impress.  Juliette Vukets (whose mother Lucille and older brother Greg coached the team) was a study of composure setting up many of Westlake's point while Webster was a menace at the net.

Westlake didn't drop a set all week.

Boys Final
Trident High School avenged a defeat earlier in the season to Otumoetai to became champions for the first time in seven years. The first set was tight with little quarter given until Trident suffered service wobbles. Faults were conceded at 12-12 and 15-13 which was the catalyst for Otumoetai to go on a 6-0 run and power ahead 20-14. Jerome Morris with his belligerent serving and explosive net play was outstanding for Otumoetai as was Luke Chuter with his blocking. The final score in the first set was 25-19 to Otumoetai.

Otumoetai quickly gained a 10-7 lead in the second-set. Trident kept their cool and the sheer hustle and enthusiasm of tournament MVP Jack Oswald saw them draw level late in the set.

The most dramatic points of the match were won in succession by Nathapop Sathorn.

At 20-20, Otumoetai forced Trident deep into the court with a series of walloping spikes. Trident kept the ball alive with meek deflections. Sathorn was then forced to retreat close to the boundary and strike the ball in reverse over his head with his team's final shot to keep the rally alive. This he achieved and Trident won the point to take the lead. Another arduous rally followed which was emphatically finished by a leaping Sathorn spike. Trident winning the set 25-22.

With momentum firmly on their side, Trident wasn't challenged in the deciding set prevailing 15-8. Tawari Stanley grew in stature with his disruption at the net while the infectious smile of Oswald perfectly captured the energy of his increasingly confident team.

Boys Tournament Team
Ben Blackwell (Mount Maunganui HS)
Quaid Forbes (Tauranga BC)
Jack Manaway (Tauranga BC)
Keegan Joe (Sportswood College)
Sione Latuila (One Tree Hill College)
Tawari Stanley (Trident High School)
Manawa Amoroa (Trident High School)
Jerome Morris (Otumoetai College)
Luke Chuter (Otumoetai College)
Henare Richards (Otumoetai College)
Nathapop Sathorn (Trident High School)
Jack Oswald (Trident High School)

Girls Tournament Team
Georgie O'Dea (Mount Maunganui College)
Emma Hegarty (Otumoetai College)
Cliona Whyte (Otumoetai College)
Emma Bercich (Rangitoto College)
Olivia Philpot (Tauranga GC)
Kiana Gear (Tauranga GC)
Ava Andersen (Whakatane HS)
Emily Julian (Whakatane HS)
Elizabeth Howard (Westlake GHS)
Juliette Vukets (Westlake GHS)
Emme Shearer (Westlake GHS)
Tamara Otene (Westlake GHS)
Previous Boys Winners
1984: Mangere College
1985-87: Kawerau College
1988: Whakatane High School
1989-90: Kawerau College
1991: Tauranga BC
1992: Kawerau College
1993: Tauranga BC
1994: Whakatane High School
1995: John Paul College
1996-97: Western Heights High School
1998: Hillary College
1999: Whakatane High School
2000: Westlake BHS
2001: Kelston BHS
2002: Tauranga BC
2003: Westlake BHS
2004: Westlake BHS
2005: Rangitoto College
2006: Tauranga BC
2007: Western Heights High School
2008: Napier BHS
2009: Trident HS
2010: Western Heights High School
2011: Tikipunga High School
2012: Western Heights High School
2013: Westlake BHS
2014: Manurewa High School
2015: Orewa College
2016: Trident High School

Previous Girls Winners
1984-88: Kawerau College
1989: Mount Roskill Grammar
1990: Otumoetai College
1991: Sportswood College
1992: Kawerau College
1993: Manurewa High School
1994: Kawerau College
1995-97: Otumoetai College
1998: Western Heights High School
1999: Whakatane High School
2000: Avondale College
2001: Tauranga Girls Collehe
2002-04: Otumoetai College
2005: Mangere College
2006: Upwey High School (Australia)
2007: Trident High School
2008: Tauranga Girls College
2009: Otumoetai College
2010: Mangere College
2011: Mount Maunganui College
2012: Otumoetai College
2013: Manurewa High School
2014: Trident High School
2015: St. Marys College
2016: Westlake Girls High School

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