Successful trip to Aust. for volleyballers

Press, 28 July 1987, Page 40

Successful trip to Aust. for volleyballers

The Pioneer women’s volleyball team recorded seven wins from seven games on its short Australian visit to return home with the Tasman Challenge Trophy. It played the full New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory state teams twice each and recorded four wins, and also beat three leading Sydney club teams to finish with a perfect record. The men’s team finished with a four winthree loss record, but the coach, Tony Barnett, was pleased with his players

and is looking forward with confidence to the New Zealand club championships in Wellington next week. The men’s team was without two of its leading players, Reid Hamilton and Tony Natapu, who were unavailable for the tour. The men’s team lost to New South Wales in its first match but bounced back to beat it twice at the week-end. It also accounted for two leading Sydney club teams.

The national director of coaching for Australia, Mr Tony Naar, said he was

surprised at the high standard of play produced by the two Christchurch sides, saying it was equivalent to that produced by full New Zealand teams on earlier visits. Results.—

Men: Pioneer 3, Homebush 2; Pioneer 3, Bankstown 2; Pioneer 3, N.S.W. 2; Pioneer 3, N.S.W. 1,-A.C.T. 3, Pioneer 0; N.S.W. 3, Pioneer 0; A.C.T. 3, Pioneer 1.

Women: Pioneer 3, N.S.W. 1; Pioneer 3, East Sydney 0; Pioneer 3, Bankstown 1; Pioneer 3, N.S.W. 2; Pioneer 3, A.C.T. 2; Pioneer 3, N.S.W. 2; Pioneer 3, A.C.T. 0.