14 May 2025
We had both our boys and girls team fight through the first round of the CHS volleyball comp in Wagga on Monday.
Our boys had a good run in the round games, only narrowly losing a match against Wagga Wagga High School. The performance was enough to qualify them for the semi-finals where they lost convincingly to Albury High School.
Connor Vecchio’s height was a huge boon to the team. Philip Aloniu’s almost superhuman vertical jump and his serves were also a major asset to MRHS – Griffith, with Aloniu acing 3 consecutive serves at one stage.
“The boys really got around each other and cheered each other on,” exclaims team coach Maddy Casey, “They came third overall, so they might still get a call up for state if another team falls through.”
Meanwhile, the girls’ performance saw them dominate the round games. The semi-finals against Albury High School was another big win for the girls before a slightly closer victory in the finals against Wagga Wagga High School sealed the day for Griffith.
Tuaine Usugafono, Val Peniata and captain Edma Ataela were all praised for their solid performance on the day. Year 7 Luafale Usugafono also proved she has a promising high school volleyball career ahead of her.
“Our girls showed a better understanding of the game than the other schools,” explains coach Enoka Tia, “Overall, they went really well. Especially considering they only had one practice beforehand.”
Our girls team will now play the state finals on 23 July in Sydney. Best of luck, girls!
