Diversity and opportunity spiking in the Hunter through volleyball
DIVERSITYAND OPPORTUNITY SPIKING THROUGH VOLLEYBALL IN THE HUNTER
The top senior and junior volleyball players from Newcastle and the Hunter began their annual competitions this week with over 100 players from around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and the Lower Hunter coming together to compete in Hunter Volleyball’s Junior Volleyball League and Premier Volleyball League competitions.
Participation in both competitions is based on merit selection, and while this is the fourth year the Junior Volleyball League, it is the launch year of the Premier Volleyball League following significant growth in the sport over the past five years and extension in the player pathways in our region.
Participation in volleyball in the Hunter has been growing at a rapid rate. Michelle Slack-Smith, Operations Manager of Hunter Volleyball says, “Our memberships have increased by almost 300% in the past four years. We now have skills programs for beginners, entry and social level competitions for juniors and adults, leading into our Junior and new Premier Volleyball Leagues. Already we are seeing our members gaining opportunities at state level, not only indoors but on the beach also!”
In addition to the Junior and Premier Volleyball Leagues, Hunter Volleyball runs mixed social competitions in Newcastle and Maitland, plus A, B and C Grade competitions in Newcastle, a women’s skill development program in Maitland, and a beginner kids skill development program – Ready Set Spike! - for tweens and teens. As Slack-Smith states, “Volleyball is a sport that anyone can play and we want to provide as many genuine and supportive opportunities as we canto encourage people to get involved in this sport for life.”
Appealing to the broader community is already a feature of Hunter Volleyball’s success. Recent membership data shows that memberships are split equally between men and women. Further, 22% of members come from a country other than Australia, significantly more than the local Newcastle/Hunter population (where around8-14% are from a country other than Australia). Volleyball is a global game, evidenced by the number of countries of origin within Hunter Volleyball’s membership, being over50 at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Danielle Tansu, President of Hunter Volleyball, says: “Volleyball is the ultimate team sport that brings people of all ages together. We have teams competing in our mixed social competitions with player ages varying by up to 40 years, and hailing from such diverse cultural backgrounds. We have families playing together, parents playing with their kids. It’s amazing.”
The Junior Volleyball League season runs from 9am-3pm in Q Block at Hunter Sports High School, Pacific Highway Gateshead:
Round 1 Saturday 31stMay
Round 2 Saturday 14thJune
Round 3 Saturday 21stJune
Season Finals Saturday 28thJune
The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season is played at various locations, between Tuesday27th May to Sunday 3rd August (Men’s Finals) and Sunday10th August (Women’s Finals).
The full PVL schedule and season results can be found here
www.huntervolleyball.com.au/play/pvl
CONTACT: Michelle Slack-Smith, Operations Manager, Hunter Volleyball, 0434 686559 play@huntervolleyball.com.au