The 48th New Zealand Secondary Schools Volleyball tournament is being playing at Arena Manawatu, Palmerston all next week. The tournament, featuring some 2000 players, plus coaching and support staff, from throughout the country, is the largest indoor national secondary schools sports event on the calendar. In total, 75 boys and 97 girls teams (172 combined), representing 99 schools will be represented, with play running day and night for five days. The boys and girls Honours, Premier and Challenger finals are on Friday. Rotorua’s Western Heights High School (boys) and Christchurch’s Burnside High School (girls) are the defending Division 1 champions. Western Heights defeated a visiting Australian team, Heathfield College, 3-0 (25-23 25-21 25-20) in the 2015 final, whilst Burnside HS edged Nelson’s Waimea College 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 15- 12). Bay of Plenty schools Mount Maunganui College (boys) and Otumoetai College (girls) finished third in 2015. Western HeightsHS (Tyran Gillespie/Daniel Michael) and Burnside HS (Alice Zeimann/Chynae Stark) pairs also won this January‘s NZSS Beach Volleyball championships. The top 10 seeded boys teams at the tournament are (1-10): Western Heights High School A; Tauranga Boys’ College A; Trident High School; Otumoetai College; Orewa College; Waimea College Gold; Rangitoto College A; Riccarton High School; Manurewa High School; Western Heights High School B. The top 10 seeded girls teams at the tournament are (1-10): Marlborough Girls’ College; Burnside High School; Otumoetai College A; Westlake Girls’ High School; Tauranga Girls’ College A; Waimea College Gold; Mangere College; Mount Maunganui College A; Aorere College; Rangitoto College. The format of the tournament for the top 32 boys and girls Honours divisions will see teams initially split into pools of four, followed by a top 16 and bottom 16 round and then quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals. Teams will play nine games throughout the week. Tournament teams and boys and girls Tournament MVPs will be named at the conclusion of the tournament. Last year, Western Heights HS’s Kahurangi Robinson and Burnside HS’s Alice Zeimann were the tournament MVPs. Kahurangi has now left school and has turned his hand to AFL, whilst Alice returns to lead her school to its title defence in 2016. Immediately following the tournament, a New Zealand Age Group trial will take place, from which Age Group squads will be invited to attend the Volleyball NZ Age Group Performance Camp in Porirua later in April and later selected to represent national teams. The NZSS Volleyball Championships were first played in 1969, with St Kentigern College (boys) and Hamilton Girls’ High School the inaugural winners. The schools that have won the most titles have been Tauranga Boys’ College (11) and Otumoetai College (girls, 13). The previous five winners have been: Year Boys Girls 2015 Western Heights High School Burnside High School 2014 Tauranga Boys’ College Waimea College 2013 Tauranga Boys’ College Otumoetai College 2012 Western Heights High School Tauranga Girls’ College 2011 Westlake Boys’ High School Tauranga Girls’ College Pools and Draws Visit http://www.volleyballnz.org.nz/NZSSNationals-main to view all the pools and draws Burnside High School’s Alice Zeimann is a three-time New Zealand secondary schools beach volleyball champion. Earlier this week Alice returned to Christchurch from Mount Maunganui having won the NZSS Senior Girls’ Beach Volleyball title for the third consecutive year. Alice and fellow Year 13 Burnside High School student Chynae Stark (both pictured above) teamed up to win the national title for the first time together, after Alice and previous partner Nicky Pio won on the sand in both 2014 and 2015. “For the last two years I was with Nicky and this year I was with Chynae, so different pairings mean a different style of play. I think we adapted really well and so it was awesome to win again,” Alice said. “Especially leading into our indoor season as well.” The Christchurch pair played several games along the way, going on to beat Tikipunga High School from Whangarei in the quarterfinals, local Bay of Plenty school Otumoetai College in the semi-finals and Whangarei Girls’ High School in the final. For Alice, it’s the start of a big year in 2016 playing both beach and indoor volleyball. School-wise, she said she’s got the school indoor national title to defend in Palmerston North in early April. Last year Burnside High School beat Nelson’s Waimea College in the Senior Girls’ final. Alice was the tournament MVP. “We’ve lost seven players from last year so we’re quite a young team in 2016. But even though we are young we are still really gutsy and I think we have a good shot of defending our title.” Then there are at least a couple of trips overseas this year representing New Zealand. “I am going to Laos in May with Emily Johnston from Tauranga’s Bethlehem College for a Beach Volleyball World Championship qualifying tournament. If we qualify we get to go to the World Champs in July in Cyprus. “For indoor I am hoping to get re-selected in the New Zealand senior women’s team, that plays this year in the South Pacific Challenge, Eastern Oceania and Oceania Championships.” Volleyball has already taken Alice overseas over the past couple of years, to such places as Florida and California in the USA, Vanuatu, Taiwan and Thailand. She made her senior New Zealand women’s debut last year. Alice said she used to play other sports but she now has to focus on volleyball, which is basically year-round at the moment. She’ll be training six days a week this year. Alice said that she enjoys both beach and indoor volleyball, but if she has a preference it’s for the indoor game. “I really like beach but at the moment I prefer indoor but that is just because of the opportunities for me – I am going for an indoor scholarship in 2017 in the USA, hopefully at the University of Minnesota. They are third ranked in the country.” She explained the differences between beach volleyball and indoor volleyball. “Beach volleyball is much more individual. I think it is a lot more mental because you are getting 50 percent of the ball, so there is a lot more responsibility. “It is also harder to move and jump on the sand, and being out in the sun and the wind, and sometimes the rain, you are exposed to the conditions so you have to be able to adapt.” Alice is also busy at Burnside High School academically. Next year she is eyeing up studying for a BA in international relations or communications. NZ Secondary Schools Beach Volleyball finals results
Senior boys' Western Heights beat Rangitoto College 21-16, 21-18 Senior girls' Burnside High School beat Whangarei Girls' High School 21-11, 21-16 Junior boys' Tauranga Boys' College beat Rangitoto College 2-1 sets Junior girls' New Plymouth Girls' High School beat Waimea College 2-1 sets Bethlehem College third. Rotorua's Western Heights High School and Burnside High School from Christchurch took out the senior titles at the 2016 NZ Secondary Beach Volleyball Championships held at Mount Main Beach. Yesterday's finals were the culmination of two tough days of competition from 150 teams. Western Heights pairing of Daniel Michael and Tyran Gillespie had less trouble easing past Rangitoto College 21-16, 21-18 in the final than winning their semifinal against Daniel Kilpatrick and Ryan Forlong from defending champions Tauranga Boys' College. Read more click here... Want more photos? Follow Julie Maree Love Volleyball - Click here
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Boys 2015 Western Heights High School 2014 Tauranga Boys College 2013 Tauranga Boys College 2012 Western Heights High School 2011 Westlake Boys High School 2010 Trident High School 2009 De La Salle College 2008 Otumoetai College 2007 Tauranga Boys College 2006 Tauranga Boys College 2005 Otumoetai College 2004 Otumoetai College 2003 Westlake Boys High School 2002 Hillary College 2001 Hillary College 2000 Otumoetai College 1999 Nelson College 1998 Aorere College 1997 Tauranga Boys College 1996 Western Heights High School 1995 Western Heights High School 1994 Kawerau College 1993 Nelson College 1992 Nelson College 1991 Whakatane High School 1990 Western Heights High School 1989 Tauranga Boys College 1988 Western Heights High School 1987 Western Heights High School 1986 Tauranga Boys College 1985 Western Heights High School 1984 Western Heights High School 1983 Western Heights High School 1982 Tauranga Boys College 1981 Otumoetai College 1980 Tauranga Boys College 1979 Tauranga Boys College 1978 Tauranga Boys College 1977 Rongotai College 1976 St Kentigern College 1975 St Kentigern College 1974 St Kentigern College 1973 Rongotai College 1972 Northcote College 1971 St Kentigern College 1970 Rongotai College 1969 St Kentigern College
Girls
2015 Burnside High School 2014 Waimea College 2013 Otumoetai College 2012 Tauranga Girls College 2011 Tauranga Girls College 2010 Tauranga Girls College 2009 Waimea College 2008 McAuley College 2007 McAuley College 2006 Otumoetai College 2005 Tauranga Girls College 2004 Otumoetai College 2003 Avondale College 2002 Otumoetai College 2001 Otumoetai College 2000 Hornby High School 1999 Otumoetai College 1998 Otumoetai College 1997 Otumoetai College 1996 Riccarton High School 1995 Kawerau College 1994 Otumoetai College 1993 Otumoetai College 1992 Te Puke High School 1991 Hillmorton High School 1990 Kawerau College 1989 Kawerau College 1988 Kawerau College 1987 Kawerau College 1986 Te Puke High School 1985 Whakatane High School 1984 Te Puke High School 1983 Tauranga Girls College 1982 Te Puke High School 1981 Tauranga Girls College 1980 Whakatane High School 1979 Otumoetai College 1978 Western Heights High School 1977 Otumoetai College 1976 Otumoetai College 1975 Nelson College for Girls 1974 Wellington Girls High School 1973 Riccarton High School 1972 Hamilton Girls High School 1971 New Plymouth Girls High School 1970 Mana College 1969 Hamilton Girls High School At the conclusion of both the NI and SI Junior Volleyball Championships, Volleyball NZ have published their respective boys and girls tournament teams and MVP's. Congratulations to all the student selected for these teams. South Island Boys Tournament Team Jiahao Liu Nayland College Taiaroa Flavell Otago Boys High School Philip Jordan Waimea College Louie Hadfield Nelson College Olly Merritt Nelson College James Watt Timaru Boys High School Mataia Paki Aranui High School Hayden Sayer Aranui High School Peneli Peneli Aranui High School Troy Hulston Shirley Boys High School MVP Leo Petelo Aranui High School South Island Girls Tournament Team Leimanu Hotesi Otago Girls High School Ella Ferguson Marlborough Girls College Courtney Dyson Riccarton High School Grace Young Waimea College Hannah Moore Otago Girls High School Lily Sawyer Christchurch Girls High School Mia Jenkins Riccarton High School Jenna Thorne Otago Girls High School Tasipale Valavala Shirley Boys High School Libby Collett Burnside High School Jenny Winward Riccarton High School Hannah King Otago Girls High School MVP Taylor Thorne Otago Girls High School North Island Boys Tournament Team Hemaia Tauroa-Apete Western Heights High School Jalen Massey Western Heights High School Bailey Gordon Western Heights High School Jamie Johnson Orewa College Cieran Couper Orewa College Zedek Macklow Otumoetai College Zarn Sullivan Napier Boys High School Hoani Lawrence Tauranga Boys College Callum Philpott Tauranga Boys College Ryan Gunn Rangitoto College MVP Jed Melvin Orewa College North Island Girls Tournament Team Theresa Ngata Aorere College Meleitia Leilua Aorere College Grayson Hasler-Ewins Rangitoto College Robyn Blackstock Rangitoto College Phoenix Paniora Trident High School Tamara Otene Westlake Girls High School Nadine Pritchard St Mary’s College Maya Dickson New Plymouth Girls HS Maka Ahio Tauranga Boys College Libby Houghton New Plymouth Girls HS Rangi Bradley Moore Wellington East Girls College Italia Tiatia Wellington East Girls College  MVP Leni-Lia Moananu St Mary’s College
20/10/2015
Selina Duggan: life in the fast lanePlaying in and training for multiple sports, representing New Zealand in two of them, and also being a sports prefect at a successful sporting school means Wellington East Girls’ College’s Selina Duggan has a lot on her plate. She’s a double international in waterpolo and volleyball and a defender in her school’s netball team that finished third at the recent NZ Secondary School Championships. She also plays beach volleyball and basketball and Sevens rugby for her school. Selina finds time for it all. After spending the first week of the school holidays in Thailand with the NZ U21 Girls’ volleyball team, Selina travelled straight on to Ashburton to join her netball teammates, four of whom subsequently made the tournament team. “I was lucky enough that the timing worked and I flew straight from Thailand to Ashburton with only missing out on two round-robin games on the first day. I managed to compete with my team for the rest of the tournament which I was so happy to do, being my final year playing school netball with them after five years together,” she said. Selina gave College Sport Media an in-depth insight to her busy sporting life: Please explain your recent tour to Thailand with the NZ U21 volleyball team? Travelling to Thailand was an amazing experience. Each day followed a similar routine with high intensity training at the Volleyball Institute of Bangkok in the mornings for three hours before playing against local university teams in the afternoons. The volleyball was nothing like I had previously experienced with the opposition being fast, loud and with the capability to not let the ball hit the ground on their side of the net. Not only was the opposition foreign but the environment with the heat and humidity was nothing like I’d experienced before in NZ. We had a management team of three highly experienced ex volleyball players who expected a certain standard of us as players and wouldn’t be afraid of training at an activity until these standards were reached. The aim of our tour wasn’t wholly based on the results but more implementing the skills we had been learning in the trainings and to get some international games under our belt in preparation for the Asian Champs in 2017. I am very happy with how I performed over there and hope to keep increasing my volleyball skill with the years to come. What was the composition of the New Zealand squad in Thailand? Everyone was still at school in their final year bar one girl, and I was the second youngest but the most inexperienced in volleyball as I was the only one who hadn’t represented NZ before. Previously, you’ve represented New Zealand in the pool, in waterpolo? I first represented NZ when I was 14 making the U15 NZ waterpolo team that played in a tri-series tournament against NSW and Queensland. I was selected MVP of the tournament. The following year I made the U17 NZ team which travelled to Canberra to face a mixture of international teams including Japan, China and Australia. For two years I was selected in the New Zealand secondary school team competing against Australia in the Tri Tasman series, with us taking out the title last December for the first time in six years. Last year I also was a part of the junior women NZ team that travelled to Spain to compete in the Youth World Championships. How do these sports complement each other? The first thing what I am able to transfer and what has helped me out between sports is probably communication. While being goalie for waterpolo I had the job of communicating to the whole team on defence and directing the positional play, I also had to learn to give orders to people who were older than me due to playing in senior women’s teams at a young age. This gave me the confidence in myself to be able to talk to a wide range of people and know that communication is a key part to a successful sporting team. Fitness is something that is interchangeable through my sports and having to train in different sporting codes meant that my overall strength and fitness improved while doing so, although I have found different sports demand different types of fitness. You also play basketball and Sevens rugby for your school? I have played in the senior A basketball team for the past three years, but Wellington East has not qualified for these tournaments. I’m lucky enough to be a part of the WEGC Sevens team, and we’ve started the season off with a bang taking out our first tournament this Saturday just gone, the Derek Wootton Memorial Cup tournament. Do any of your sports take precedence over the others? Waterpolo was my priority until last year which did mean sacrificing volleyball and netball to the level I would have liked to try and compete at. Even though I prioritised waterpolo I was still able to keep participating in both volleyball and netball to a regional representative level but I was wanting to see if I could take my volleyball to the next level of representing NZ which is why I made the decision this year to sacrifice my waterpolo to concentrate on volleyball. When you’re not competing, what’s a typical week-day routine for you? Although the level of training has dropped somewhat since giving up waterpolo, I can generally train anywhere up from 30 hours a week depending on what sports are overlapping. If I don’t have an organised sports practice in the morning I’ll do a gym session so am training every morning for an hour to an hour and half. Then in the evening I’ll alternate between Sevens training twice a week, netball training twice a week and volleyball training once a week for school and then once a week with the boys’ team. I’ve also started playing beach volleyball once a week. To keep the intensity of the volleyball training up to the level that I need to stay competitive for NZ I do extra training with the boys and also do specific PT volleyball sessions. Now that the season is winding up for volleyball and netball has finished I’ll need to ensure that I replace the sports practices with more of my own training. You’re also a sports prefect at WEGC, what does that role entail? I am one of the two sports prefects at WEGC and have the job of organising the sports events that go on throughout the school. We promote sport at our school and acknowledge the successes that our girls are up to. We like to think that we are our sports coordinators’ little helpers. Currently Amy O’Neill and I are organising the sports prize giving that is coming up, a night that acknowledges all the sporting achievements that WEGC has had throughout the year. Speaking of which, Wellington East Girls’ College has some other fine sportspeople at the moment. Is this a reflection of a great culture of the school? I have always been amazed at the level of athletes that have been at WEGC, especially in my year level. Having talked to students from other schools I have found out that it isn’t as common to find a school that holds as many NZ representatives in one school as we do, having 15 girls this year alone that I can name off the top of my head. The culture our school has in terms of sport is incredible, I find that because of how many girls that are competing at a top level it pushes everyone to want to succeed in what they are doing, and tall poppy syndrome is definitely not an issue at WEGC. Also the girls are super encouraging of each other and always interested in what they’re doing and how they are getting along in their own sporting codes. Not only this but I think WEGC does very well in appreciating the work that the girls are doing and make sure to find time to acknowledge the girls and their achievements they are making to the whole school at assemblies on a regular basis. It’s noted that much of this success has been achieved under the backdrop of your school being disrupted these past few years with major earthquake strengthening work going on and outdoor space limited? Personally for our netball team that just finished third at nationals, the construction was not an issue for our trainings as we train indoors. But having no courts meant a lot of other sports suffered. Our interchangeable netball - tennis court meant tennis was no longer on offer for the school and it also put a strain on training for our 25 netball teams as space was so limited. Personally, you’ve had great coaching support in your sporting journey thus far? All the coaches that I have had the privilege of working with have been incredible and so many have put in their own time to help me improve as a player. I have been very thankful for every single one of them as I have gained such an incredible amount of knowledge and skill from everyone. I would have to say that my school and club waterpolo coach Sarah Goff was instrumental in getting me to the level that I got to in my waterpolo seeing the potential in me well before I did and pushing me constantly to be the best player that I could while having to juggle around so many of my other sporting commitments. Do your plans for next year revolve around your sports? I have decided to take a gap year before starting my studies to go travelling next year; I am looking at a volunteer programme coaching volleyball in South America to start off with then heading to Europe to experience some international volleyball through playing for some clubs in different countries. When I get back I’m looking at starting my studies either in Health Science or doing a sports internship. |
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