THE South East Volleyball Association is all set for a busy year, with its 2020 summer season to kick off in the coming weeks.
Weekly competition will start on Monday, February 24, while the association will send a representative men’s team to Horsham this weekend to play a tournament against three Victorian leagues.
That will serve as preparation for the upcoming Warrnambool Volleyball tournament over the March long weekend.
Further excitement will see the South East Volleyball Association (SEVA) work with the Tatiara council to run the volleyball at the South Australian Masters Games on April 18 and 19.
“The Tatiara region are hosting the Masters Games later this year in April and they have contacted us to run the volleyball there,” SEVA president Cambell Baker said.
“There is no volleyball in Tatiara, so they called us and we are working with them to host the volleyball there.”
Baker is excited by the opportunity and said it was good to be recognised while the association is still in its development stage.
He looks forward to kick-starting a busy year with a trip to Horsham this weekend.
“The crew at Volleyball Horsham are hosting sort of a friendly tournament with Volleyball Horsham, us (SEVA), Warrnambool Volleyball Association and Sunrasia too,” Baker said.
“It will be a good hit out in preparation for the bigger tournament which is in Warrnambool over the March long weekend.”
The Warrnambool Volleyball tournament is the big event of the year and Baker hopes for the South East to be competitive in its second attempt.
“Last year we went with a very raw team in terms of knowledge and skill,” he said.
“Now we have a season under our belts, plus a couple of experienced players who have come out of the woodwork.
“I am hoping we will be a lot more successful than last year.”
Baker said the aim is to eventually send a women’s representative side as well.
Last year was the first full season for the association, after holding a five-week competition at the end of 2018 to create some interest.
“From there I said I’d be happy with four to six teams for 2019, so the fact we had 13 just blew it out of the water,” Baker said.
“We are looking at having the same – if not more – this year.”
Baker said the spike in numbers was a pleasant surprise and the association is now ready to dig into another successful season.
“We are super stoked that after one season we have been able to maintain and increase participation numbers,” he said.
“That was sort of our five-year plan, so to achieve that in one year is really awesome.”
The season will again run in line with school terms, with breaks over the school holidays.
The summer competition will run until the end of term two at the start of July, before the winter season is played over terms three and four.
Games will be played over three timeslots on Monday nights at the Mount Gambier High School gym, while a development session will also be held, which Baker said will be aimed at high school students and introducing new players to the sport.
