By Lachlan Onions
VOLLEYBALL prospects Saw Hoe Bay and Nop Pha Rad have been given the opportunity to excel after being invited to talent identification clinics being held in Adelaide over the school holidays.
This opportunity will provide them with world-class levels of coaching to further their development.
South East Volleyball president Ben Clark was full of praise for the pair as they prepared to embark on the clinic.
“Nop Pha Rad is an amazing competitor,” Clark said.
“She only started playing last season and she has shown amazing growth.”
Pha Rad was a part of the women’s South East representative side that competed at Warrnambool in March.
The South East finished runners-up after making the grand final.
“We only had a few training sessions in the lead-up and they just performed brilliantly,” Clark said.
“We’re really excited about the next tournament that they go to with even more training under their belts.”
Pha Rad was one of the standout performers at Warrnambool.
“She was our youngest player in the tournament and she just grew enormously,” Clark said.
“In the grand final she was one of our better players.
“I think a lot of the younger girls around her age look up to her, she is a leader for them all.”
The strong performance for the women’s side has done wonders for volleyball in the region with more players wanting to get involved than ever before.
The next tournament the South East will take part in will be held at Port Augusta for the South Australian Country championships in June.
There will be a men’s and women’s side taking part.
“Saw Hoe Bay will definitely be going to the championships,” Clark said.
“He is really talented and he plays in the top division in the club competition held on Monday nights.”
The sky is the limit for Hoe Bay with the talent identification camp the next step in his development.
“With a little bit of technique adjustment, he could achieve anything,” Clark said.
“He has played with us for a couple of seasons and he is really starting to mature.
“We’re really excited to see what he brings back from Adelaide and having him for his first adult tournament in June.”
Hoe Bay is going to be one of the South East’s youngest players in the men’s team headed to Port Augusta.
