Lachlan Dand, Murray Pioneer

It is little secret for those who have completed year 12 studies that it’s one of the biggest years some can face, as high schooling days draw to a close.

With exams, prom, and graduation all wrapped up, students at the Renmark High School (RHS), have one piece of official duty left.

Students will head to the Gold Coast this Sunday morning for the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup, which was previously held in Canberra and Melbourne, running until 15 December.

RHS health and PE sports coordinator Aaron Camplin said the event was born out of success at a tournament in Adelaide.

“Since it’s been over on the Gold Coast, we decided to go to Adelaide for the Volleyball SA Smash Event,” he said.

“That’s another great event to introduce students to volleyball, and last year myself and Daniel Clark (fellow PE teacher), had a chat and thought let’s have a crack at getting some teams to the Gold Coast.

“We’re lucky enough that the school got behind us, and now we’re taking our two senior teams (boys and girls), and it’s going to be fun.”

Volleyball has been a longrunning program at RHS, and Mr Clark believes the program works well due to the teamwork between players.

“Volleyball started at the school around 35 years ago from a teacher called Stewart Scott, and he came into the region when there wasn’t much volleyball and got it going with a few other families,” he said.

“He introduced it to the school, and it’s sort of been one of those traditions we’ve got behind, and I think we were one of the top five schools every year participating in the cup before it moved to Melbourne.

“It’s one of those things we’ve just done, and we’d like to continue to do in the future.”

Students have been participating in the volleyball program at the school since they were in year 8, and Mr Camplin said the cup was a good way to be able to send the students off.

“A lot of the highlights they’ve spoken about during their time at school all centre around the volleyball camps,” he said.

“We started in term one, so it’s been a fair commitment by them with trainings at lunch and early in the morning, and now they’re still coming in and training despite finishing their exams.

“They’re pretty pumped for it, and it’s a nice thing for them to be able to do before they head off into the real world with study or employment.

“We had the year six transition guys come in and watch them play volleyball, so hopefully it’s something they can continue to do in future years.”

Students from the boys team said they were ‘excited’ to head to the Gold Coast to compete in competition, following a long year of training.

“I’m really excited, I haven’t been for a while, and I can’t wait to play against good competition and see where we’re at,” Lachlan Keynes said.

“To do something that other schools in the Riverland haven’t done yet, and be an inaugural team is a big opportunity, and hopefully we can prove the year of hard work has paid off,” Evan McAllister said.

“We want to show that it’s worth spending the money and the time off, and that other schools can see how successful we are and play next year.

“You get introduced to it really early, and play all throughout year eight, nine, ten, and eleven, and you get given so many opportunities to train and travel.

“You just have to put your head down, and commit to it, and by year 12 you’re set up really well to succeed.”

Preparations to compete in the cup for the school began 12 months ago, with both Mr Camplin, and Mr Clark working through logistics as to how to make the week work.

“We started looking at accommodation, and then vans and buses to get around over there,” Mr Camplin said.

“Melbourne works so well with the bus over there, but to get the kids down to Adelaide at the airport is a different challenge.

“We had Bonza lined up, and then that changed which threw a spanner in the works, but it’s all worked out and we’re ready to go now.”

Keynes said one of the best parts of playing volleyball was the connection formed between the cohort, which has continued to grow throughout the year.

“We have a lot of team chemistry, which is really good to see when we play on a Monday night,” he said.

“We’re all positive, and getting around each other, and even though we may not be winning every set, it’s a good team to be with.

“You make a bunch of friends along the way from year eight to year 12, you know everyone, and play with the same group of people every week and it’s a good thing to do.”

Mr Clark said the connection formed with the teams has grown throughout the year, and said it goes up a notch ahead of the upcoming week.

“You get to let your hair down at the end of the year with the kids and have a bit of fun,” he said.

“It’s a good fun week away where we can play some competitive volleyball, have a good time, see some sights, and relax a bit and have a bit of fun together.”

Despite a high amount of teams boasting quality heading to the sunshine city for the cup, Mr Camplin believes RHS can perform at a high level.

“The team have trained for a while now, and we are confident, but there are some schools who are always strong too, but hopefully it’s something we can continue to do in years to come,” he said.

“There is plenty of sport in the community, but this is something where a Monday night competition gives kids the opportunity to be involved.

“It’s very exciting to take a team over there for the first time from a Riverland school, and a big thank you needs to go to the Renmark Paringa Council for their grant and sponsorship which has helped the kids get over there.”

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This article appeared in the Murray Pioneer, 4 December 2024.