“The players were really keen to impress and speaking with the coaches at the end of the day, they were more than happy with firstly, the turn out, but most importantly, the standard set,” he said.
Hassell said for the men, there was a need to separate the premier and state league aspirants, given the high number of athletes who registered to trial, with 20 at the premier trial and 40 at the state league trial.
“In 2024 we ran four male teams and had to cut players at the end of the trial period, and it looks like the same thing will happen again, given the numbers we had,” he said.
“But the standard of our teams will be much stronger, with a number of quality players coming in at the premier one level, which will in turn cascade down through premier two, state league one and two.”
Top female player Laelah Robertson attended and after a hiatus from the club, was also impressed by the standard.
“I was lucky to trial with the premier girls and there would have been at least 20 players at the level, which was unreal from a training perspective as you received quality touches all the time and you had to be on your toes, right from the start,” she said.
“There were at least six girls who were apologies for this trial, who would easily be included in the premier group, so the depth looks great, meaning the competition for spots will be intense.”
Robertson said having familiar faces around her also helped her feel comfortable at the trial.
“Molly Carter, Paige Hemley, Tamikah Dockrill, Sophie Quick and Ella Van Duren all trialled and added to the quality and depth of talent,” she said.
A second trial will be on Saturday in Bendigo, with state league aspirants on first from 10am to noon, followed by the girls from noon to 2pm then the premier men from 2pm to 4pm.
Come-and-try night
The first of two come-and-try nights will be staged tonight from 6pm to 7pm at St Brigid’s College stadium.
The night will give those interested in participating in the summer season, which starts on February 24, a chance to give the sport a try before making the commitment.
There will be two courts set up – one for adults and another for kids, so all who attend will be given the opportunity to try out.
There is no cost to attend and if interested people cannot make it, a second night will be held next Wednesday, February 12, from 5.30pm.
Registrations now open
Team registrations are being taken for the summer season, with entries closing on February 19 for all grades.
To register a team, people can visit the Volleyball Horsham website for the registration link.
Already there has been good numbers register, so teams are encouraged to get in quick in order not to miss out.
Further enquiries can be submitted to info@volleyballhorsham.com.au.
The entire February 5, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!