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Massey claim volleyball championship
Wednesday, August 31st, 2005
An unbeaten record of 37 games won and none lost this year has seen the Massey University women’s team crowned national champion.
Not only is it the first from Manawatu to achieve the feat, it is the first from the Central Zone, which includes Wellington.
Ezibuy Massey beat Te Puke Sports, winner for nine of the last 12 years, 3-2 in the final at Wanganui on Saturday.
Now Massey is contemplating a trip to the Australian club championships in November.
It was some feat for Massey because six of its 12 players had just arrived back from the World University Games in Turkey. They were Rebecca Reidy, Kim Tootell, Mel Parnell, Susan Blundell, Emma Preston and Kim Wong.
They arrived in Palmerston North at 5pm last Tuesday after 36 hours of travelling and had to be ready to play the next day.
Six of the team was Palmerston North-based, five were from Wellington and two from the South Island including Silver Fern netballer Anna Scarlett.
Co-captain Lucy Todd lived in Palmerston North last year.
Massey provided the tournament’s most valuable player, Palmerston North’s Tomoka Saotome who was also named the best setter.
Blundell was the joint best spiker at Wanganui.
The other Palmerston North players were co-captain Eloise Jillings, Kim Tootell, Rebecca Reidy and Kali Gatland. Another Palmerston North player, Florence Tauli, had to pull out to give priority to her studies after playing at the world under-21 netball championships in Florida.
Massey finished seventh last year but the team was stronger this time and Jillings pointed to having a top coach in Warren Smith. He arrived in Palmerston North late last year.
A lecturer in sports coaching, he played at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) in his youth and has played and coached indoor and beach volleyball in Germany. Bevan Erueti was his assistant this year.
“It has always been a northern or southern team which has won,” said Jillings.
“We also won the Central Zone championship, all five tournaments. Most expected us to win this time.”
Each time this year in about eight clashes, Massey had the drop on its arch rival, NZIS (New Zealand Institute of Sport) from Wellington.
To rub it in, Massey beat NZIS 3-0 in the semifinals at Wanganui after having toppled last year’s finalist, Tauranga, 3-0, in pool play.
The final was tighter, Massey beating Te Puke 15-11 in the fifth set.
The Massey men were 11th from 12 teams.
SOURCE: PETER LAMPP
Full article visit www.stuff.co.nz
