Wellington Masters – 19th and 20th Jan 2008

Wellington Masters Volleyball

19th and 20th Jan 2008 in Wellington City
(Age is 25 and over)

The cost is $300 per team and this gives you an awesome dinner Sat night – and BBQ Sunday after the games or if you come as an individual $50
– Not bad for two days playing nice dinner Saturday & a BBQ on the Sunday.

If you don’t have a team, one can be found for you. Or, if your team are short 1 or 2 players, there will be others in the same boat, so come along anyway, and let Earl or Tessa know before, what you need.

“It will be a great opportunity to crack back into it – hook up with other die-hard volleyballer’s and welcome the new year & season in with a smash!”

“Rustle up your teams and let Earl & Tessa know early!!!”

You can contact;
Earl Cleverley: (direct) email: earl.cleverley@fishserve.co.nz
Tessa Siolo-Thompson: email: tessa.siolo-thompson@ssc.govt.nz or call 495-0167

New Zealand Volleyball History

“Mr Volleyball”
Ctirad Benacek has been said to have introduced volleyball to New Zealand, and being apart of creating the club “Sparta” in 1954 in Panmure, Auckland.
A Czech Republic National Representative who played in the 1948 Olympics in London had come to New Zealand in the early 1950’s & in the New Zealand volleyball circles was nick-named “Mr Volleyball”. Benacek was also mentioned to be one of the best top 3 coaches in the world of Volleyball during the 1970’s & 80’s.

Historical Overview
In 1967 saw the formation of the “New Zealand Federation of Volleyball Clubs”. The sport was about to create its new history throughout the country. The following year, 1968, the first “New Zealand Club Championships” was created.
One of the pioneering clubs in New Zealand was Sparta Volleyball in Auckland. They were founded by a group of immigrants in 1954. Being one, of many of the original clubs, played the Maiden New Zealand Club Championships in 1968, in which the Sparta men’s team won (the team of 1968 comprised of 1 Dutch, 1 Australian, 1 Samoan, 1 Russian, 1 Kiwi & 4 Czechs).
Also that year winning the first ever Women’s New Zealand Volleyball Title (known as Spiders Cup) was Hamilton Teacher’s College. And like Sparta’s men, Hamilton Teacher’s College would win the next two years before relinquishing it’s reign.

In 1969, Wellington Eagles (another pioneer club of NZL Volleyball) donated to the “New Zealand Federation of Volleyball Clubs” a silver cup known as the “Eagles Cup” for the winner of the Men’s National Championships. They flew to the top of New Zealand Volleyball by winning the cup in 1971 and have since appeared in five finals. But as for Sparta’s Men, they would dominate in years to come, tallying the most wins for any men’s club team with 13 National Championships.

VNZCC
1971

First International Contact
Earliest records of International activity for New Zealand, was playing in the Australian National Championships from 1969, 1970, 1971 & 1972. In 1973, the first Oceania Championships were held in Sydney, where New Zealand’s National Teams would compete & later on hold an Oceania Championships in Nelson 1976. New Zealand also played an International match in Adelaide against Australia 1971 & in Sydney 1972.

VNZ National Teams Men’s & Women’s
1971, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Please feel free to contribute to this record, or mention any corrections by making a comment.

Absolutely Positively Wellington Open

This is one for all Beach Volleyball Fans, so keep dates penciled in. This also tells you the times of the games being televised live on TV2. Click on the McEntee Hire Logo to read a story about the NZL Beach Volleyball Tour.

Friday 11th January – Sunday 13th January
Absolutely Positively Wellington Open Semis & Finals

Live TV 12.00pm – 5.30pm TV2 – 13th Sunday Jan 08

11.30am – Women’s Semi Final 1
12.15pm – Women’s Semi Final 2
1.15pm – Men’s Semi Final 1
2.15pm – Men’s Semi Final 2
3.30pm – Women’s Final
4.30pm – Men’s Final

McEntee Hire NZ Open Semis & Finals
Auckland 18th Friday – 20th Sunday January 2008 ASB Tennis Centre, Stanley Street.

Live TV 12.00pm – 5.30pm TV2 – 20th Sunday Jan 08

11.30am – Women’s Semi Final 1
12.15pm – Women’s Semi Final 2
1.15pm – Men’s Semi Final 1
2.15pm – Men’s Semi Final 2
3.30pm – Women’s Final
4.30pm – Men’s Final

2007 Junior Inter-Provincial Champs

Another year of Junior IPC Volleyball, and the games seemed to be real spectacular. This is the 6th year the IPC Tournaments have been run. A Senior IPC Tournament will be schedule for the 1st-Term of 2008.

Competing Teams:

Junior Girls – Bay of Plenty – Waikato – Manukau-Auckland – North harbour

Junior Boys – North Harbour - Waikato – Bay of Plenty – Counties – Hawkes Bay

Junior Boys IPC Finals

Boys Elimination Final:
North Harbour defeat Waikato 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-13)
(Waikato Finish 3rd)

Finals: Bay of Plenty defeat North Harbour 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-11)

Junior Girls IPC Finals

Bronze Medal Playoff:
Manukau-Auckland defeat North Harbour 3-2
(25-23, 25-20, 24-26, 18-25, 15-8 )

Finals: Waikato defeat Bay of Plenty 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17, 18-16)

To read about how the games went, click below. 

Secondary School Net Height Debate

Debate: Whether the height of the net was an issue on why NZL colleges did well in the AVSC. In New Zealand the Girls U16 and above play on a net height of 224cm. In Australia, they play on 2.15m & 2.10m in the U16. It has been an old & ongoing debate in Australia.

Over in Australia for the “Australia Schools Volleyball Cup”. New Zealand Colleges did fairly well, with Otumoetai & McAuley High School making the finals in the “Open Girls Honour Grade”, aswell as Hillcrest High School winning the “Girls Final in Division-1″.
Also Penrose High School from Auckland making the Finals in the “Open Boys Honour Grade”.

Click on the Comments tag to read the responses, and feel free to add your own comments.

Coments are also made at Devo’s Volleyball about the net height, very interesting comments.

VNZ Club Champs / Past Winners of Div-1

Originally Posted: October 14th 2007

Volleyball New Zealand Club Championships, more commonly known to most, as “Club Nationals” started in 1968. The tournament has reached a milestone in achieving 40 years in the year 2007. For most Clubs in New Zealand, “Club Nationals” is the main focus of their season.  It is open entry for all clubs but qualification is required to play in Division-1.  All other non-qualifying teams make up Division-2. 

Rough guideline of Zonal Areas:

• Northern Zone- Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Waitakere, Counties-Manukau, Waikato & Bay of Plenty

• Central Zone- Wellington, Manawatu, Wanganui, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki & East Coast

• Southern Zone- Southland, Aoraki, Otago, Canterbury & Tasman

• VNZ Club Championship Winners of Div-1 Men’s & Women’s 

Each Zone will have 5 tournaments in their Zonal areas. Division-1 is made up of the top 16 clubs from around New Zealand (16 Women’s & 16 Men’s). Winners of each Zone automatically qualify. The remainding clubs will be made-up dependant on qualifying positions that the Zone Area has been allocated.  Each year the number of allocated seedings per Zone, are determined by rankings from the previous year or by the discretion of VNZ.