Volleyball New Zealand confirmed on Wednesday the squads of players targeting 2024 events in the Junior Women’s international pathway.
Following camps and trials held earlier in 2023, a total of 48 players have been named across two wider squads in preparation for events set to take place in 2024.
Junior Women’s Head Coach Andrew Kilham reflected a process which saw the standard high on the court but also in approach taken by athletes off the court.
“The level of competition for places in our squad was impressive. The athletes worked hard to perform their roles to the best of their ability and there was a real level of intensity,” Kilham said.
“What pleased me as much, if not more, was the encouragement athletes were offering to each other. Overall, it confirmed my feeling that the athletes involved are first and foremost good people and that will be great for the composition of the final squad.”
Kilham said the number of quality environments around the country is clearly producing results for the wider game.
“There are so many good programmes in place around the country and it has been great to see the athletes being challenged and stretched in these environments.
“The fact that most of the players attended Club Championships tells me that they love playing and that they want to keep growing their game. Many are fortunate to be playing alongside highly experienced and battle-hardened athletes and they will learn so much from the wisdom of these older players.”
Kilham added that the work between now and the next in-camp contact will have two key focusses from his perspective.
“The first will be around establishing our cultural foundation of values and expectations. Some work has already been done around this but when our confirmed squad first gathers together it will be important to lock these in as key points around which everything else we wish to achieve will revolve.
“Secondly, we wish to compete hard and to the very best of our ability when we go to Asia. We will establish how we wish to play and what improvements and developments we need to put in place to make this happen.”
The Asian Volleyball Championship squad of 12 athletes and four non-travelling reserves will be named after a camp set for Christchurch in April.
The Development Teams targeting either the Australian Junior Championships are also to be finalised for action in mid-2024 following their camp opportunity slated for Palmerston North in March.
Junior Women’s Indoor – Asian Volleyball Championships 2024 wider squad
Angela Reupena – Canterbury
Charlie Vail – Harbour
Chloe Kemble – Bay of Plenty
Ella Pedersen – Bay of Plenty
Emma Mason – Canterbury
Georgia Brell-Perrett – Bay of Plenty
Grace Tiplady – Bay of Plenty
Helen Woods – Canterbury
Kaia Buckley – Harbour
Kalea Norton – Harbour
Kiana Stevenson – Harbour
Lola King – Tasman
Manon Bonar – Canterbury
Marnie Ursem – Harbour
Nia Surman – Canterbury
Romy Krueger-Reedy – Bay of Plenty
Tineke Hinton - Canterbury
Junior Women’s Indoor – Development Squads
Abigail Gilchrist – Bay of Plenty
Alice Newman – Canterbury
Amelia Hollows – Otago
Amelia Brown – Harbour
Amelie Shalfoon – Canterbury
Anais Blanchard – Harbour
Arianna Roberts – Bay of Plenty
Brooke Mcnamara – Hawke’s Bay
Dakota Coleman – Canterbury
Eliana Collins – Canterbury
Emily Muller – Harbour
Ericka Landar – Waikato
Eva-Marree Mene-Tuimavave – Harbour
Grace Adler – Bay of Plenty
Jazmine Zanders – Harbour
Joanna MacAskill – Canterbury
Jorja Gantley – WECA
Kendall McKane – Bay of Plenty
Lani Rawle – Harbour
Leila Iafeta – Hawke’s Bay
Levi Hunt – Bay of Plenty
Lexi Tupe – Bay of Plenty
Lily Spark – Canterbury
Logan Vaoliko – Wellington
Lucy Allison – Waikato
Luseane Uia – Tasman
Mia Cole – Bay of Plenty
Molly Morrow – Canterbury
Morgan Lee – Canterbury
Ruby Amkreutz – Harbour
Soteria Gaogao - WECA
