Volleyball has its biggest tournament

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 15

Volleyball has its biggest tournament

The popularity of the University of Canterbury's annual Queen's Birthday week-end volleyball tournament is such that the sixth tournament, sponsored by Skellerup Allstar, is the largest ever held in New Zealand.

In only two days, tomorrow and Sunday, 59 teams will take part, and the university’s gymnasium is no longer adequate. It will still be used but the headquarters will be at Pioneer Stadium, the finals on Sunday afternoon.

More than just the prestige of winning the tournament is in the balance for the leading players. “Ben" Benacek, now coach of both the national men’s and women’s teams will be in watchful attendance.

A trials programme will be incorporated, and the 27 men and 20 women who have indicated their availability for the national teams to

play in the Australian state titles next month will have a busy time.

They have a session this evening, and more on Monday and Tuesday; the days in between will be fully taken up with tournament play, eight courts—two of them at Pioneer—in 12-hour use.

The host club, University of Canterbury, is seeded first in both men’s A and women’s A divisions, and the strong representations in the New Zealand squads suggest University is heading for a double. Seven are in’ the men’s squad, six in the women’s.

The way will not be easy, for the top men's division especially, is a fully representative' field. There are six Canterbury teams—University (two), Smash, Teachers’ College, Cobb and Co - and' Aranui; Woodbourne from Marlborough: the strong' Eagles and Rongotai teams from Wellington; and Otago

University, Scorpions and King's High School Old boys from the south.

Otago University and Scorpions are the Dunedin teams in the women’s A division which is otherwise dominated by Christchurch sides. Both men's grades have 12 teams, both the women’s 10, and there is a social grade of 15 teams. To spread the South Island flavour, West Coast. Blenheim and Woodbourne are in the women’s B.

It is a big year for volleyball. A South Island league is now in full swing, involving the top eight men’s arid women’s teams from last season in a home and away series. University of Canterbury is unbeaten in both grades, and the leading group of teams in each will go through to the national championships in September.

On October 16 and 17, there is also a televised champion-of-champions series in Wellington.