After an excellent 2022, ProVolley did it again in 2023; both best-ranked Men’s and Women’s teams dominated Sydney Volleyball League by winning Gold Medals in each category.
This season was very unpredictable for our team as we started with one squad of players, and because of various unforeseen circumstances, we finished with a different group of athletes. However, we are very proud of winning the Championship with our Juniors in the Senior team, who proved that ProVolley has a bright future. Girls played their best volleyball when needed, and I am very proud of them, such as my entire coaching team, said Head Coach Massimiliano Gubbiotti.
We are all very excited about the Trophy and Gold medal that we won. By winning the league, our team qualified for Division 1 in the next season in 2024. Also, with our Juniors in the team, we were the youngest team. The unique taste of the Triumph is the fact that we played with five half-injured players in the semi-final and final games. On top of that, many key players could not play, so we finished the season with a different team. The season was a roller-coaster and made us incredibly strong, said Head Coach Aristeidis Papadopoulos.
What a season! What a Team made of adult athletes and our Juniors who were part of the Junior program at the same time. The Club culture is impressive, which influenced this team significantly to play as a team despite the vast age difference, said Assistant Coach Carl Pahina. I am so proud of this team for winning this medal, it could be Silver or even Gold, as we needed just a bit of luck in the semi-final, but this is a sport, and we will be ready for our next endeavours. The season was a fantastic journey, said Head Coach David Lai.
This was a fantastic experience for the girls and a great result, as we had a completely new team this season. I am so glad our Juniors, who became adults this year, stepped up and played very well in their debut season in the senior’s division. I believe this Bronze Medal will encourage all the girls and future players to go for the Gold Medal next season and to qualify for Division 3, said Head Coach Macarena Oyarzun.
Everything could go in another direction, but in the end, I am very proud of the team winning fourth place this season with a completely new team and a couple of Juniors from our Junior squad. This team made a stable ground for the next season. and will definitely go for the Gold Medal next year. In the meantime, we will have a National Club and Good Neighbour Championships in Victoria and Canberra, said the Head Coach Hashmat Sardar.
We appreciate the unexpected opportunity of having the Women’s Division 1 Team in SVL this season and finishing the competition in the middle of the table. We had a short time for preparation and creating a team. However, we built the system and allowed the girls to experience the level and prepare for coming endeavours. The head Coach David Lai also said that many of them will play National Club Championships and Good Neighbour Championship until the end of the year, allowing us to have continuity in our work.
Competing in Sydney Volleyball League for the second year and achieving these fantastic results means a lot for the Club and volleyball in Sydney. I am glad we finished the first part of the season with these trophies and entered the preparation for the National Club Championships highly motivated. Including more and more Juniors in our senior programs provide the future of Volleyball in Australia, said the Founder of ProVolley, Doctor of Volleyball, Mladen Stankovic.
